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Ouch... Oddsmakers have Hawks as 2nd worst team in NBA... Only Blazers worse... They predict: Blazers 24.5 wins Hawks 27.5 Knicks 30.5 Bobcats 33.5 76eres 33.5 Raptors 34.5 Celtics 35.5 Warriors 35.5 Spurs 57.5 Mavs 56.5 Suns 55.5 Not too encouraging... I always can burst my dreams/expectations by looking at what they're saying in Vegas with Atlanta teams... Unfortunately, they tend to be right...

Grew up in Austell, GA (Pebblebrook '89) Reside in Douglasville, GA Work downtown for SunTrust

There was one game last year where he was acting very childish and inmature... Can't remember the scenario but I remember the incident made me classify him as a thug... Plus, a lot of knee problems last year... Even after surgery... But I'd rather get him than nothing that's for sure...

Claxton JJ Childress Josh Smith Chandler ez pz

I agree... Maybe Mardy Collins is part of a package... I said ya gotta keep raping Isaiah while he's still GM... I'm surprised they're lookin' for a shoot first PG... Seems with JJ on the wing you'd want a true PG lookin' to distribute... Mardy does have one thing goin' for him... The wingspan trait that BK looks for... He does play solid "D"... Course he had to playin' at Temple... I liked him when I watched him... Sure does seem like we've got a lot of bodies and not many roster spots...

Solomon Jones (a poor man's Tyrus Thomas?) averaged same number of BPG & RPG as Tyrus Thomas... So essentially we improve our defense inside the paint... Guess we'll spend our free agent money on a PG or do a sign-and-trade for a PG...

There ya have it... A BK special...

Well, according to NBADRAFT.NET, about 2 PG's will be there: Daniel Gibson (Ivey's running mate) Dee Brown (more experience/nba ready may be more attractive for Hawks; i.e. Shelden Williams) No centers anywhere around pick #33...

Forwarded to Sekou... See if he mentions it in AJC article 2morrow...

Late in 1st quarter, Josh Smith gets called for a phantom over the back on J. Collins (49% FT shooter)... What I think the ref saw was he was over the back, but it was his own player... ANYWAY... Go down to other end of the court to shoot 1-1... PA announcer says, "Collins to the line for the bonus...", which is correct... BUT, Jefferson (81% FT shooter) steps up and takes the free throws and makes both of them... As Jefferson steps up and takes the first free throw, PA announcer says "Correction, Jefferson to the free throw line...". NJ pulls a fast one and gets away with it... Good thing we didn't lose by 2 points or anything like that...

I believe his 2nd 10 day contract ended (that was signed on or around 3/11)...

Where was the defense? Everytime I looked up the 76ers were in the paint making a layup or on the outside with a wide open jumper. No desire tonight... Don't know if it was the news of Salim being out for the year or what but hardly no one showed any enthusiasm to be out there. Amazes me though how JChill and his setshots are like automatic... I can't recall the last time he's had an open shot and missed it... Oops, scratch that... There was that one air ball from the corner... But that's been it... Been impressed with his shot lately... Smooth got beat consistently one one one last night to the basket... Foul trouble all night... We have to pickup some defensive minded players in the offseason...

The kid is playing some unreal all-around basketball right now... Shootin' 3s at the same % as JJ over the last month?!?!? What has gotten into him? Everytime he takes a 3 now you have to hear that same comment from Rathburn... lol And the fact that he's now RELISHING taking the pressure shot and making it... Only bodes well for the future... He loves to play "team" basketball... Let's hope this type of attitude continues to spread to the rest of the team... Also, as a sidenote, what JJ has done has been unbelievable as well... His assists lately are what's mind boggling to me... Giving up our center was well worth it..

UNLESS the rest of the tourney shows me otherwise.. He's the only prospect I've seen that's draftworthy... I'm tired of the too many SF talk... Throw that book out the window... I want players on the court that can get it done regardless of their size/position... Here lately, at the end of the Hawks games, there's no traditional lineup out there... It's all 6-8 players or less out there getting it done... Woody has gone with the hot players at the end of games lately (sitting Harrington or Zaza if needed)... I think this town would go crazy over Morrison and help fill up the seats...

He still has no concept of "helping out" defensively. Don't get me wrong, I like him... But he desperately needs help being more defensive minded... Also, he needs to learn to "act" less or else he'll get no calls from the refs... Refs across the league are starting to learn he "cries" for fouls and therefore he's not going to get the call when there is a legit foul against him...

If you put Salim in your starting lineup, you ruin the chemistry that we've finally gotten in place... Salim is a role player (hence why he dropped to the 2nd round in the draft)... He comes in to try and generate offense... But all I see him doing is increasing the other team's lead... It seems to me we are always down more than when he came into the game... Our offense goes to hell when he comes in because everyone knows he's gonna jack it up... Therefore, the movement stops... We become more liable to the long breakout pass because Salim is driving down the middle and no one rotates back to defend the kickout pass... Salim hasn't done much since his unbelievable New Orleans game when he practically brought the team back from a ~30 point deficit to almost win the game...

He looked better than Shelden to me... 8-16 19 pts 10 Reb 7 Ast 2 Blks For the year shot 58% from the field and averaged 17.3 ppg... But I guess he's considered too small for a PF at 6-7. Possible 2nd round consideration from the Hawks... But I guess he'd be another 6-7 player that we don't need... Is McRoberts comin' out this year?

Quote: I think his passing is good, and he sees all the nice passes, he just has yet to learn what is a good or a bad pass. He throw a lot of passes away when it's a play that would have been amazing if it had made it, but he should have known better than to try it. I would certainly say that most facets of his game are coming along nicely. Yes, you are right there are quite a few times when he tries to make the long breakout pass which results in a turnover that makes Woody go ballistic on the sidelines... Part of the maturation process... He's definitely better at the short passes...

Quote: I lose a little bit in terms of rebounding, assists, and 3pm and lose a good bit in blocks but gain in steals. Now all I gotta do is find a way to get Marbury off my team (he's on the can't cut list...) and get an assist man/3pt shooter. Well you traded your assist man/3pt when ya traded Billups... I love his assists and 3ptrs but he kills my FG% (as does Knight)... I've tried to load up my team with either assists and/or high FG% guys the past few weeks (D West (both of'em) New Orleans & Boston's), Szerbiak, Diaw (qualifies for multiple pos. INCLUDING PF), & Hamilton... We are a 4 team league so the free agent pool is plentiful... I'm in a similar league as well (Yahoo, few more categories)... What you also need to look at is how to help other teams pass the 1st place team in some categories... This may be a moot point now past the trade deadline if your league has one... In my league, I overpaid to help another team overtake the 1st place team in 3ptrs while I loaded up my team with assist guys (Billups, Nash, Knight, Miller, & D Wade)... It's gonna be close but hopefully my spreadsheet calculations are correct..

PLAYOFF BOUND!!!!!!!!!!! It just came to me out of thin air... I'm a marketing genius... Or did he get fired a couple of years ago!?!?

I've always been pleased with Josh's passing in traffic... He does have good court vision... Here lately he's done a good job of pushing the ball and finding JJ on the wings or someone cutting to the basket... What he does need work on is his delivery of passes out to the wing... He tries to do a bounce pass and in both instances last game, they were slow getting to the open shooter... That shooter needs those valuable mili-seconds to get off a 100% comfortable shot... Actually, last game the ball had to bounce twice before it got to JJ... But I would have to agree with his comment that it's an underrated aspect of his game... The Hawks have done well with the point-forward offense (mainly JChill running it)... What excites me more than anything during a Hawks game though is when the other team is on the fast break and trailing the play in the corner of the TV screen you see Josh Smith start his sprint... You know exactly what's comin'... www.swattage.com I hate that half of his blocks are legit and are so unbelievable that the ref calls goal tending on him... I could only imagine what his block #s would be if he'd get 75% of those missed calls...

Quote: a player with tremendous athleticism who will isnt likely to ever be successful in the NBA. Not worth more than a late first, 2nd round pick. I'd have to agree with this comment... Although he looked a lot better against Auburn (sub .500 team) than the last time I saw him, he needs a few more years of college... Looks like he takes a lot of plays off... He still needs to build his stamina and basketball smarts with a couple of more years... No doubt he has the athleticism (ala Swift), but definitely needs some seasoning (and not as the 12th man on an NBA bench)... No I haven't seen him live so I guess watchin' him on TV makes my opinions moot... I still believe Morrison is the only lottery prospect draft worthy...

He played well... All around type game (except for the shooting)... Did what he needed for his team to win... Does a good job of getting his hands in passing lanes... Dropping down to the post for weakside rebounds... Drawing the defense and kicking it to open shooter... 3-10 FG 1-2 3PT 4-6 FT 8 Reb 4 Ast 4 Steals 2 TO's Probably not worth trading down and getting him though in my opinion... Would still rather us get BPA... (Hopefully Morrison)...

I do that? That's the 2nd time I've seen you say, "He's a so and so clone". I admit I look at the profiles and their ranking and post that here (even link to it). Maybe I'll visit ya next time I'm takin' Fitzgeralds money again in Tunica... :P Would like to come up there April 2nd (afternoon game) when Hawks make a visit... But don't think it's going to happen...

Wow... I'll go over to nbadraft.net and mention every prospects comparison as well... yeaaaaaaaaaa j/k