Dejay

Fixed it for you...

I love KAT and all but I really don't want to eff around with the chemistry yet. Plus, we still haven't seen what this team could do at full strength with McMillan running the show from the jump. If there's an obvious move than can be made to improve our chances of representing the East, of course you do it. We'll see what comes about soon enough...

No lies told here. If he could get that percentage up to around that 37-40% mark with guys like Bogdanovic, Hunter, and an improving Reddish running around, lots of possibilities open up...

I'd go with off-ball movement, 3-pt shooting, and overall strength in that order. While he can also improve defensively as well, I saw more effort from him on that end this season (especially in the playoffs) than at any other point in his pro career. With him improving his off-ball movement and deep shooting (not the logo shots, 23-27' will do), not to mention having a healthier Bogdanovic, Hunter, and Reddish on the floor instead of Hill or Snell, opponents will find life miserable game planning against this team due to the extreme gravity he would have. Even now, opponents know better than to leave him alone anywhere because it only takes one shot of his going in before he suddenly goes Super Saiyan mode and takes over the entire game. Imagine him running around the perimeter and hitting 3-pointers at say, at 38% clip? And if Reddish makes the jump? You might as well start saving up for ECF and Finals tickets right now...

That's great news. Are we going to get to play Hawks Family Feud like we did a few years ago?

I stated three months ago that they'd be a problem for any of the 'Big-3' in the East come playoff time and have the posts to prove it. And that was with Reddish and Hunter both being out of commission. Until I see a confirmation of Damian Lilliard going to Philly for Ben Simmons and a 2nd rounder in 2058, the Hawks officially replaced the Sixers as one of the Big-3 in the East with a Game-7 victory in their crib in front of a national TV audience. And considering that they have to contend with a much tougher division than the Hawks do (wanna compare the Nets, Boston, and NYC to say, the Wiz, cHeat, or Horcats?) for years to come, I can see things staying that way unless a massive shift is made on their roster as well as between their ears. I thought that they were made of much sterner stuff and they just aren't. And why wouldn't the Hawks be heavily considered as one of the elite in the East as of now? Miami has talent but the Hawks were beating on them with Lloyd Pierce running the show. Boston had bragged for years about all of these 'assets' they had to add to their roster but what have they done with it so far? And until the Knicks add far more firepower than what they currently have (hint: Barrett and Bullock ain't it), they'll remain stuck in the Savio Vega-class; looks sound in the ring and always make his opponents work for it but will still be jobbing out to the stars come PPV time. I would say that this might have been a one-year opportunity that was missed had any of Schlenk's predecessors been in charge, like Sund, Babs, or Knight. I still see that to a smaller extent but with this ownership group and front office, I have more confidence that they'll continue to add to this roster as needed than at any other point in their Atlanta existence. And a key element that many take for granted is that they have so much young talent on the roster who got experience deep into the playoffs, save for Hunter who was injured. Gwu-Tang, Huerter, Reddish, and yes, Trae aren't just guys who got in when they were down 32 in a series-clinching loss in the first round. They were a missed official's foot and two wins away from being in the effin FINALS. There just isn't a long track record of young teams making such a run, especially considering the year-long rash of injuries that they suffered from the gate. And I have a deep suspicion that there is a 'want to' in them that was never found in the Steve Smith, Joe Johnson, or Al Horford teams to win the title rather than to just be happy that they're no longer on PAX or NBA-TV. Knock on wood to them being fully healthy, I see Schlenk adding a couple of pieces that may not be all that shiny (no, I don't see them adding Bradley Beal) but will be the difference in a long 21-22 regular season and getting homecourt at least through the first couple of rounds (yes, I see them as a 2nd seed behind Milwaukee). The difference will be that they avenge their ECF loss, beat on the Suns, Clips, or old Lebron and us having the biggest blowout party in the city's history. Call me myopic but that's how I see things going...

Falcons (yes, I have some healing to do) Hawks Braves Tennessee (see Falcons, Atlanta) Atlanta United

I try not to think about it. Gotta love the then self-proclaimed 'residential basketball expert' making one of the all-time biggest gaffes in NBA Draft history. Well, no we don't...

Some of these writers need to be drug tested...

That's the difference between him and guys like Joe Johnson. We went from talking about avoiding the play-in game a couple of months ago to now being salty as a pork steak about not beating a team with lightyears more experience in the postseason to make the Finals. That's the biggest turnaround from this franchise that any of us have ever seen. Although there is a sense of resignation coming from them after defeat, I feel no vibe that they were happy to get this far. In contrast, their predecessors would've been popping bottles and smoking cigars in the locker room after winning more than two games in the second round. I think that they'll be hungry to return here and finish a year from now. And at this point, why not?

That's the key difference between this team and their predecessors. I could be wrong but I never heard guys from the Joe Johnson or Steve Smith era openly talk of proving that they belonged amongst the elite, that the year before wasn't a fluke?

So...am I still banned from watching live Hawks playoff games at least until they make the Finals?

I always have an alibi over here with these dirty air filters...

I love Kawhi Leonard but we already have a younger, budding version of him on the roster (see Hunter, DeAndre) who is far less expensive. Besides, considering the injuries here, the term 'load management' is something I don't want to become familiar with...

Oh, did they ever. From what I've heard, they totally destroyed team records for gate receipts during this run...

At full strength, the ECFs are still over. But the Hawks would've been prepping for a trip to Arizona while the GA National Guard is deployed to keep folks from flipping cars downtown...

I wouldn't complain about that. Their top priority should removing the interim tag from McMillan immediately. He's not perfect but he's taken this team further than any coach ever has. He deserves to be rewarded for that. I think that this is the end of the line for Snell, Lou, and Hill. I can see Lou retiring and the Hawks looking to use the cap space to either help with signing Collins or to upgrade a backup position. And yes, I could see that pick being packaged for an established player as well. Speaking of which... As for Kris Dunn, I could see the Hawks moving him if he exercises his player option. He's quite a defender when healthy but you can't be laying bricks like Alan Henderson out on the perimeter. There are far worse moves they could make than adding McConnell. Mays can be an interesting piece down the line as well. Add a couple of valuable pieces on the bench to go with what they already have. Pray for much better health. Watch Trae come back to whoop ass throughout the season to the point where the Hawks become a Sunday afternoon regular on ABC. Then witness them avenge their ECF loss to the Bucks a year from now. 'Big-3' in the East? You'd better include this team until Philly gets their house in order...

I'm not nearly as upset as I normally am after playoff defeats. I cannot think of any team with a core this young in the league even sniffing the ECFs much less coming within two wins of winning it. While nothing is guaranteed in pro sports, this isn't the NFL where things can go sideways in a hurry (see Falcons, Atlanta) after a tough loss in the postseason. And from what I'm gathering, they're not run by penny pinching owners unlike a certain local baseball team who shall remain nameless, either. Almost everything is in place for them. From the star player that most of us have been hoping against hope to get since Nique, to a head coach who can lead them, to a competent GM who plays chess instead of Connect-4 (FINALLY!!!), to an owner who felt that loss tonight as much as the players did. If not anything else, Tony Ressler loved those ridiculous gate receipts from this run (all franchise record numbers, BTW) and want to keep that going. In other words, we're no longer playing around in the kiddie pool, hoping to strike gold in the lottery. We're in a much higher weight class now...

I think that we can all agree that more veteran depth could be in order for the offseason. I was planning on saving this until later but since I was still up after prepping my meats to grill in the morning, well... Dunn has a player option next year but I wouldn't be surprised to see him return since there will be no Rondo or (likely) Lou Williams to fight over minutes with. Besides, who would be offering him more $$$ to start in light of this past season? And if he's not starting anywhere else, why in the hell would he leave to play on a lesser team? That being said, I would still pursue a backup PG. And yes, they do need a bruising big somewhere (hell, ANYWHERE). While Capela, Collins, Gwu-Tang, even Gallinari did their best to hold the fort, would it be in their best interest to explore a better option than Bruno at this point? I'd lean towards keeping Knight though; something tells me that he has some hidden talent. Speaking of which... The wing position is a very strong one when healthy. Between Bogdanovic, Hunter, Reddish, and Huerter, I see no one else getting any serious airtime on that station. And if Reddish keeps on coming, oh man. Folks, what we shouldn't be doing is discussing moves to just beat the Bulls, Horcats, or Pistons on a random Tuesday night in January. Every move from this point forward should be made with not only hanging 52-60 wins but contending for the title as well. Getting a better backup PG along with some help to deal with much bigger guys, like Embiid, Lopez, Ayton, et al on the boards and in the post should be their top priorities on the roster.

Agree on all counts. Injuries aside, Brooklyn and Milwaukee are all that stands between them representing the East this time next year in the Finals. While both sport MVPs on their roster, I'm loving the odds with the young cards we've been dealt and here's why: Over the last few weeks, I saw a squad that wasn't just happy to make the playoffs or the second round. That alone is a far cry from what we usually get before they're escorted off of the premises by a higher seeded team. Even after getting bounced and sometimes embarrassed in the process, there was no rally cry to go further. The team always appeared to be perfectly fine with being a second or third-tier squad, which trickled down from ownership to the front office to the coaching staff and roster itself. An entire generation of potential Hawk fans, not to mention loyal season ticket holders, were lost as a result. I have seen every rendition of this franchise since the '70s and have waited since 1988 to call this team a legitimate contender for the world title. Even the 2015 squad gave me pause because of the Lebron factor that they had no real answer to. For the first time in over 30 years, I'm no longer afraid of anyone they face; regular season or otherwise. This team was six wins away as is without Hunter and with Trae and Bogdanovic playing on two good knees and ankles combined. Could any of us had seen this coming back in December? They're not some scrappy little bunch whose luck ran out, only to return to being mediocre next season. They're division champions and a squad with enough firepower to send anyone home in a 7-game series, especially if they're healthy. They'll be back, smarter, tougher, and stronger than today. And the rest of the league will be left to feel their wrath...

'The Asset' has that assassin sound to it, like The Winter Soldier being called in to handle business in that Captain America movie.

Damn straight...

IMHO, he is the wild card in this whole thing. With Hunter returning after having a breakout season before injuries, he adds yet another potential weapon to the roster that opponents will surely have to deal with going forward. If it hasn't already been taken, I got dibs on calling Reddish 'The Asset'. Again, what a steep price Dallas may end up paying for their boy. I hope those first-round knockouts was worth it...

All things considering, I'm not even as upset that it ended tonight as opposed to watching other local teams whom were favored to win big games wet the bed. I know that there are some angry folks here tonight but keep this in mind. We weren't supposed to be here, remember? Even after Nate Dogg got them off the deck and into the playoffs, they weren't supposed to be a match for the Knicks. And even after Trae sent them to the Phantom Zone, it took national folks 0.0000648 seconds to say that they'd get swept against Philly. They're now ready to trade everyone, including first-born kids to add (insert anyone who can shoot a basketball here) after the Hawks put them down. They were too injured, banged up, and simply ran out of gas. While we can wax poetic about what would've happened had Trae's foot went eight inches elsewhere in Game 3 or if Hunter was available, it is what it is. For the first time in well over 30 years, they are a legitimate contender to win it all. Get healthier, get stronger, and use the talk of the naysayers whom are sure to come out as fuel as they've always done. So instead of firing off trade proposals and free agent additions for the night, let's take the time to appreciate what we witnessed over this past month. I know that I will. Because unlike the '89 or '15 teams, this isn't the end of the line. For the very first time, we have a strong front office and engaged ownership. That goes an extremely LONG way in terms of staying within hailing range of winning world title. This is only the beginning of a very long journey...

The first time they've been favored in a playoff game since...2017?