hawks774

Dwight Howard can still help the Hawks, but at age 32, his role on this team has to change. Zach Randolph was asked by Memphis' coaching staff to be the leader of the second unit and for the most part it was a smooth transition. Dwight has limited options at this point of his career. Teams are not clamoring to add Howard to their team as a franchise player at this point. The Hawks can win with Dwight, but his role has to change and he has to be cool with that moving forward.

Sometimes a sixth man evolve into a starter. It happened with Harden and even a player such as Kyle Korver when he was with the Hawks. Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I thought Hardaway being the son of a NBA player would have given him an edge, but maybe tim Jr. has hit his ceiling as a player and will remain inconsistent and never a franchise player.

I was hoping that Tim Hardaway would have a significantly bigger and positive impact in this playoff series, but was the moment too big for him? I do not know if he should receive a long term contract north of 10 million per year. I do not expect for Hardaway to put up John Wall numbers, but Hardaway needed to do more in this Washington series. Dennis did take his game to another level, but Tim did not and that is disappointing and that means the Hawks may have to look for another veteran shooting guard in the offseason who is more consistent and dependable to beat teams such as Washington in a playoff series.

I am not advocating Humphries should be starting, but he is good enough to play 12 to 15 minutes a game and hit an open jump shot or a three pointer along with rebounding.. At the press conference, Coach Bud was asked about Thabo not playing at all, and he said that he is the "11th guy" and may be an option moving forward if he fits into their plans. Is Thabo in Coach Bud's proverbial doghouse?

I am concerned to see the referees swallow the whistle in regard to allowing Markieff Morris rough up Millsap, but where is the 6'9 235 lb Kris Humphries who can stretch the floor and be a physical presence and where is Thabo is a better defensive presence on the perimeter and small forward position than Mike Dunleavy? If Thabo and Kris are not suffering from injuries, they need to be out there playing at least 12 to 16 minutes a game.

Terrence Jones is likely to be waived by New Orleans. He is a talented player who can play both forward positions and would definitely be an asset to the team. Other teams such as Toronto and the Wiz are trying to get better and moving to get Jones would be a positive.

After seeing this Wizards' blowout AT HOME, I am concerned that the Hawks may have to make a trade and in the words of Lebron... "get a ***** playmaker". The Hawks do not match up with the Wiz--period... and if they see us in the playoffs it could get ugly. Right now Markieff Morris has become Millsap's kryptonite and when Milsap is silenced or neutralized, we got big problems. This is where having an additional player with the skillset of an Al Horford at 6'11 who can shoot and stretch the floor helps Atlanta. Dwight Howard's limited offensive game is exposed and inability to be a threat from the perimeter hurts Atlanta. There is no help from the bench from someone such as a Mike Scott who has totally regressed over the past few years despite his potential... and the Hawks have dead weight such as Tiago Splitter... And I believe we need to see more of Hardaway having an impact with his ability to hit threes and attack the basket. Very disappointed in effort, but we got a matchup problem and Coach Bud has to make some adjustments...

I do not believe GM Wes Wilcox is working in the best interests of the Atlanta Hawks via the moves he has made this past year. It seems like he is still working to make the Cavs better rather than the Hawks. During the 2016 draft, the Hawks drafted Kay Felder on behalf of the Cavs . Felder might not become a superstar but he has been a contributing member to the Cavs. And now Wilcox is in the process of trading Korver to our CONFERENCE RIVAL for virtually nothing that can help the Hawks. Why is Wilcox doing more to fill out the Cleveland roster than Atlanta's? Why is someone such as a Tiago Splitter still on this team? The Hawks need a more experienced GM.

Kyle Korver is a fan favorite, but he will be 36 years old in March and still receiving starting minutes as if he is 26. Korver really has not been the same since Matthew Dellavanova injured him during that Cleveland playoff series a few years back. Korver is not the future and Coach Bud needs to be able to start developing younger talent or he has to make a trade for a younger, more productive veteran. Make Korver a player coach or something, but it does not make sense for him to keep stealing playing time from the younger players. At the very least, the Hawks need a more consistent defensive presence on the floor from the backcourt position. Two of the Hawks' most impressive wins this year occurred against CLEVELAND and INDIANA on the road when Korver was NOT IN THE LINEUP. It is time to transition away from Korver and see more Tim Hardaway and Taurean Prince on a regular basis.

Why are the Hawks doing this? They should keep Felder.

Hack-a-Thompson has worked, but should have been used in the very beginning in Game 1. And maybe consider fouling JR Smith who struggles more at the free throw line than shooting threes.

Korver should have been benched in favor of Thabo Sefalosha late in the fourth quarter. The Cavs were worried for a minute but the streaky JR smith saw an opportunity with Korver guarding him and put the Cavs up for good on a three-point shot, 90-88. This was the ultimate turning point in this game. If Coach Bud wants to emphasize defense playing the one-dimensional, defensively challenged Korver is a recipe for disaster. LAST YEAR, Korver attempted to defend Wizards' guards and almost gave up the game-winning shot to Paul Pierce, but luckily for the Hawks, time ran out and the Hawks won. Bench Korver for Game 2.

Can anyone explain why Kris Humphries has received a bunch of DNP-CD lately? Humphries will be needed against someone such as a Tristian Thompson who has had his best games against the Hawks over the past two years or even Lebron James. James is a problem for anyone, but Humphries at 6'9, 240 pounds should have the opportunity to guard Lebron in certain situations. Humphries is a stronger rebounder than Al Horford and has just as good of a shooting touch from the outside. Humphries is a better or more confident outside shooter than Thabo. There has to be a place in the rotation, at least 15 to 18 minutes for Kris Humphries against Cleveland.

Jeff Teague is the key to the Hawks winning a championship. He has had multiple chances in the playoffs--especially on the road to become one of the elite players in the NBA. However, Teague takes one step forward and two steps back. Against Boston, he steps up and makes two big 3's, but clams up in the moment against the smaller Isaiah Thomas. Last year, Teague did this in an OT playoff Game 3 loss to Cleveland. He had the ball in his hands but couldn't make the play needed to win the game. I assume he will be more aggressive in Atlanta on Tuesday, but can he overcome his case of stagefright when he returns to Boston?

Korver should be playing in a more limited role, but receiving starting minutes at age 35 is something that should not be happening. HOW MANY WINNING TEAMS HAVE A 35 year old shooting guard STARTING? (D-Wade in Miami is only exception) At times Korver has trouble getting a shot off, and if you couple that with Schröder on the floor for extended minutes who has been inconsistent shooting the ball and turning the ball over is not a good combination. Boston is a solid defensive team and among the league leaders in steals. Miami is a tough defensive team as well especially on the perimeter. Teague should be leading the team in total minutes and Tim Hardaway needs to be out on the floor more often along with Thabo Sefalosha. Tim played 28 minutes in a home win over Toronto, and Thabo played 30 minutes in a home win over Boston. Hardaway's ability to attack the basket along with shooting the three is an asset. Thabo is not a great shooter, but he is the best perimeter defender on this team. Korver is too one-dimensional at this point of his career and opposing teams such as Toronto, Boston, Miami or Cleveland believe they can limit or shut down Korver and stay out of foul trouble.

There will be outrage,but "we play to win the game". I would not be surprised if the NBA commissioner has a press conference announcing the need for a rule change...if the hawks shock the cavs.

Kyle has done a lot of good things over the years for the Hawks,but there are too many games that Korver is shut down and is a total non-factor. There are games at AGE 35 that he plays more minutes than Jeff Teague and Al Horford and this goes back to last year in the playoffs. Kyle spreads the floor, but TH,Jr. can do that too, right. Plus, Hardaway is also able to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket and draw fouls from opposing players. Bud has slowly integrated TH, Jr. into the lineup, but he needs to be starting and averaging 28 to 32 minutes a game.

If LeBron loses to the Hawks in the second round or conference finals, LeBron will leave the Cavs or Thompson could be traded. I rather have Thompson go the FT line 25 times than LeBron scoring 40.

This was a close game, but it got out of control because the referees started calling phantom fouls on the hawks when it was still a contested game. MacDaddy, I agree with you about the 'rhythm'...and if the refs want to start controlling the game by not calling fouls on the Cavs and frustrating us, why not take the initiative and foul Thompson... yeah, he may make a few, but he is likely to miss a couple. LeBron is a great player, but if its a close game, he occasionally 'chokes' and he was relieved that the REFS took control in the third quarter and sat out the fourth. Tristian is a better free throw shooter, but he is streaky and could lose confidence if LeBron gets mad at him, and he could be benched in a CLOSE GAME.

The Hawks have play competitively against the Cavs, an OT loss at home and a yesterday's road loss that got out of control in the third quarter. If the Hawks face the Cavs in the playoffs, Coach Bud and the Hawks need to find a way to neutralize TRISTIAN THOMPSON. Tristian averages more minutes and courttime against us than any other team. He was out there when LeBron scoring was at will with the help of the refs. If the REFS are determined to call fouls on the Hawks, lets put Thompson on the FT line and not allow LeBron or even Kyrie to get momentum The Hack-a-Thompson strategy can work and it has worked in wins against the Clippers and DeAndre Jordan and the Pistons with Andre Drummond. Put Thompson on the line 20 times and it may frustrate LeBron and Thompson and help the Hawks. Thompson is a better FT shooter than DeAndre and Drummond, but would you rather put him on the line 20+ times instead of LeBron or Kyrie? Remember the OT loss in Atlanta..well Thompson was on the floor when the Hawks had a OT lead, but was allowed to run the floor and get a three-point play to regain momentum. He should have been fouled much earlier and it is strong likelihood he would have missed the FT and the Hawks would have eeked out a win at home. Coach Bud's strategy towards dealing with Thompson has to change if the Hawks face the Cavs in the playoffs.

I beleive Josh will stay in Houston.

One month ago, I might not have agreed with that sentiment. However, Millsap getting outplayed by Tristian Thompson was a red flag that the team should not give him max money. We should entertain a fair offer, but not break the bank.

Thabo is likely to stay for another two years. Hopefully, he will use better judgment when confronted with a dangerous situation and stay injury free.

Tristian is not likely leaving LeBron, but the Hawks need to get bigger and tougher next year and cant afford to stand pat and do nothing.

Delly is likely to go after Stephen Curry's ankles in the NBA Finals. How will the media and the refs react if Curry or a Klay Thompson is hurt by Delly's intentional, reckless on-court antics.