hawkman

Quote: i don't get it.why are we bashing anyone at all? with the youngest team in the league we won 4 our of the first 5 games and then lost 3 in a row BARELY (and with players out with injuries). and since most of you picked them to win less than 41 games this year(which means less than a .500 record) because we were still in a developmental stage, that means you apparently have changed your mind on how good the team can be BECAUSE WE'VE PLAYED WELL SO FAR. speedy- injuries and not much time for basketball shape due to injuries. not sure how this is his fault. i don't know, maybe he could have injected liquid rubber into his knees and wore a concrete brace on his hand to prevent breaking it? if you're going to blame anyone for this guys injuries, blame Billy for taking a chance on an injury prone player. Josh Smith- so the #17 pick in the draft few years ago (and one that had apparently the highest risk if bust) has gone beyond what most people thought he might do, has shown a great work ethic, worked hard in the offseason on his game, and was the only reason ESPN showed Hawks highlights until this year...yet we're bashing him because he still inconsistent (yet not as inconsistent as last year and not starting quite as slow as he has last couple years) and shoots too many threes (i agree on this but not to the point he needs bashing). Tyron Lue- he's won a couple games for us by himself (other than Joe Cool being himself) yet people bash him for being only a shooter(when we need all the offense we can get and he's our BACKUP POINT GUARD). Shelden Williams- averaging more rebounds per game than any other rookie including Aldridge(and in less minutes than Aldridge too). has actually played smart and tough for a rookie. but is bashed because he hasnt scored more (when they arent plays ran for him and he hasnt looked to score until recently). well i guess we could have used Roy though seeing as him being out for 3 out of the first 4 weeks of the season is something we need right now. Salim- ok, i've bashed this guy because i felt he wasnt playing because of something he's done. he's playing erraticly but seems to be trying to tone it down. so mark me down as a salim basher slowing warming up to him and hoping for the best. Good to hear some reality on this board for a change

Quote: Agreed, Sothron. Drafting Paul or Deron wouldn't have made a difference in obtaining JJ. To think that drafting either guy would've created a sticking point in JJ not coming here is silly. I believe that whole line of reasoning was a part of the whole Marvin vs. Chris Paul debate of last season. Those who sided with the Marvin pick used the whole JJ situation as the justification for why BK decided NOT to select Paul or Deron. I actually like Marv and believe he will have an immediate impact on this team's offense when he gets back, but this line of reasoning is irrational at best.

I guess hindsight is 20/20. For a while, it seemed that the popular opinion was that if we had drafted Paul or Deron, that somehow we would not have gotten JJ. I agree that we could indeed have had both Paul/Deron and JJ for all of the aforementioned reasons. I like Marvin but that Hawks backcourt would have been THE best in the NBA for the next 5-10yrs. There's always the chance, slim as it may be, that another crop of topflight PG's could again be available in the draft though. Fortunately, I don't anticipate us being high enough in the draft to get them.

Quote: So you do agree with us. Our whole statement was people have to stop defending him. He still plays like a rookie and isnt our star. Some people on here, mostly with Smoove in their SN tend to think he is akin to Garnett. Welllll, yes and no. While I don't see Smoove as the next coming of Nique, I do see him as a decent player with the ability to be a solid starter in this league. He has great athleticism and somewhat of a nasty sreak but his focus is not always there. His dribbling, shooting, and court awareness need work but that's a part of the player development you should expect when drafting someone so young. Smoove wasn't exactly considered a baketball "prodigy" like a Garnett, Kobe, or Lebron. Some players just take longer to grasp the nuances of the game.

Quote: Hawk, neither Peoria or I are saying he flat out by himself cost us the game. Going back to the begining of this thread the debate was Smith playing like a rookie. That's all I have tried to point out, yes this rookie type play factors into W's and L's, but like you said there are many other factors. Our contention if I may summarize for Peroria is that everyone here is acting like Smooth is untradeable, s superstar, etc etc. He is what he is a 21 year old 3rd year NBA player still making mistakes most college players don't. Is this lack of experience, Woody coaching, lack of effort, or my opinion of all 3. Highlights are nice, but I'll take a guy just getting a reb. late in a game as oppossed to a dunk contest champ. (No I'm not saying we should get rid of Smoove, I really like the kid, but would a lot of you get off your knees, spit, wipe mouth, and stop making him into our superstar) Smoove is not a superstar. In fact, he is far from it. I thought he was more of a "homer" pick, especially with jameer nelson still on the board. And he definitely is not untradeable. I'm not one those guys who looks at this team's roster with rose colored glasses either. Before he played his first NBA game, all I had to go on about him was an NBAdraft.net analysis and Bilas' comments about him on draft night. But from the comments that were made about him the night he was drafted, I think he has done surprisingly well. I was expecting another timid, gangly teenager who would most likely end up in the NBDL or overseas. For some reason, people's expectations since then have grown exponentially. He was very raw coming out of high school and it shows. But you have to admit that he has made a lot of progress from the first game he played in a Hawks uniform. He would probably come off of the bench with any other team in the league, but you could probably say that about every single starter we have except JJ. I guess it depends on what your expectations were when he was drafted. I didn't expect much so I was pleasantly surprised by his play and the fact that he's progressed to the extent he has.

Quote: Quote: Smith actually had 16pts, 13rebs, and 4blks in 51mins. That's not half bad for a mid/late 1st round pick. Hawk, you really have to change the way you are analyzing NBA players. Looking at someone's stats and concluding that he is a certain type of player is the Steven A. Smith approach to declaring who is good and who is not. I get into this discussion all of the time with people who proclaim that Kevin Garnnet is better than Duncan because his stat are better and that Duncan wins because he has a better supporting cast and my response is that Duncan can average 30 points per game easily. All he has to do is shoot more. But Duncan knows that it isn't about his stats, its about the little things that wins games. Josh Smith just doesn't seem to be picking up on those little things. Once again, I did/do watch the game(s). We're just not seeing the same game/player.I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this point. I just don't get what all the fuss is about. I'll admit Smoove has his occasional lapses, but nothing that I could point to and say, "that's what cost us the game!!!" My point is that there are other things that have caused us to lose lately. The biggest of them is the missed free throws in the fourth quarter. Making those would have easily made up for the opposing teams often slim margin of victory. Another are the "phantom" fouls against us whenever we face a "superstar" player. There's not much that can be done about the refs, but there is no excuse for the amount free throws that have been missed in the fourth quarter. Heck, even JJ went 0-2 from the line during a crucial stretch.

No disrespect intended, but I did watch the actual game. Heck, I've watched every single Hawks game I possibly could since the early 90's. And Smith actually had 16pts, 13rebs, and 4blks in 51mins. That's not half bad for a mid/late 1st round pick. Remember Roshown Mcleowd(sp?)? I think that towards the end of that game, Smoove got caught up in the fact that the Hawks had a run going and took some ill advised threes in an attempt to "get it all back" in one play. If he hits 1 or 2 of those open threes he's the hero of the game and this discussion never takes place. Now I don't disagree with the fact that he needs to work on his shot selection and focus, it's just that I think that there are too many positives in his game to just focus on his shortcomings and single him out. The expectations placed upon him in the beginning were unrealisically high anyway, especially looking at this team's track record when it comes to player development.

But the thing is that 90% of the league is probably the same way. That's why there will always be room for guys like Brian Cardinal or Bruce Bowen in this league. I know there are times that J Smith doesn't seem interested, but maybe it's time that we stop looking at what the players on this team can't do and look at the positive things they bring to the table. The last time I checked, 15 and 7 is pretty good for a guy that could have easily been a bust in this league. I respect everyone's opinion on this subject but I have noticed that every season, one guy gets picked out as the reason this team is losing. It gets to the point that the player in question can do no right. Last season, Al could get 25 and 10 in a losing effort but the only thing that would get mentioned were more "Al plays no defense" or "Al=addition by subtraction" posts. I figured it would have taken more than a 3 game losing streak during a .500 season for it happen this season.

Quote: leave the team alone. i will say it again JOSH SMITH IS ONLY 21. you know why people keep saying that? BECAUSE IT'S A VALID POINT. like a previous poster said, he was extremely raw coming out of HIGH SCHOOL so he needs to develop over time. i'm just happy he has the work ethic to succeed. leave the guy alone. and leave the coach alone, this is getting ridiculous. Something tells me that if we had won the last few games with Smoove playing the exact same way, this discussion would not be taking place. I put this kind of thread in the same category as all of the Terry, Reef, Toine, Salim, and Harrington "he's the reason why we're losing" threads. Heck, Salim wasn't even playing when half the board was ready to trade him for a 2nd round pick. JS is having his best season so far except for his FG percentage. He's not the reason this team is losing. In fact, I honestly don't believe this team "works" without him. I don't like the three pointers either but that's just one part of his game. In the game I saw last night I saw a guy who was diving on the floor for loose balls, launching the break, coming up with crucial defensive plays, and who was trying to drive against the stingy Heat interior defense. I see a much improved player from last year who is actually trying to contribute to a winning effort. With today's "me first" athletes, that not something this team can afford to take for granted.

Thanks! I just bought two tickets for myself and my brother. I've been a fan since the early 90's but this will be my first live game.

Somebody break up the Hawks! 4-1 baby!

Quote: told ya he'd get game ball! nice follow-up putback to get to 29 points! it looks like we have our 3rd scoring option!! plus chill for 4th and that's not even including Marvin! Who's Marvin?............Just Kidding!

Smoove is on another level! I've never seen him play like this!

Quote: smoove jammed home jj's shot! [/quoteTHAT WAS INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The raps have some nice players though. Peterson, Jones, and Calderon are quality pieces.

Smoove playing a very strong game. I think he's getting what it will take for him to take his game to the next level. He's hitting the boards and driving hard to the basket.

Quote: in today's pay structure. Shhhh! No one tell him. No man on earth is a "bargain" at 70 million!

Quote: We didn't make those plays last year! Confidence can make all the difference in the world.

Quote: Quote: Quote: Is J.J the truth or what? Yes he is and I am glad he plays for us. Our defense has been tremendous. when the site was hacked i went over to RealGM. i've been paying the Phx board back for all the JJ-Diaw crap we endured last year. they are well aware that JJ is an MVP candidate this year. He looks totally in control of his game right now. It's good to see him develop into THE first option on offense for the Hawks.

I like this guys game. He's versatile on defense.

He played great as CP3's backup. I think he was just a little out of shape to start the season. He can still be the starting PG for this team when healthy.

I agree. Bozeman seems to have absolutely no fear out there. He plays like a vet and has a high bball IQ. He started at point tonight and looked perfectly at home.

JJ is on fire!!!!!!!

Who are these guys???? Their body language out there is completely different from what I saw last year. I like it!!!

Bozeman starting at point??????