I'm not worried

[pathway23]

The Hawks kept hanging in there without their leading scorer and rebounder from last year, their 6th man, Dion Glover, and their backup center Nazr Mohammed against a 100% healthy nets team on their homecourt with the homecooking going with the officiating and all that, on the night the Nets hang up their Eastern Conference Championship Banner. The Hawks are going to the playoffs and a contendor for the Eastern Conference Championship this year. Its guaranteed.How far they go depends only on health of key players, the same thing even the Nets can say.

[dimes4life]

EXCUSES EXCUSES EXCUSES EXCUSES EXCUSES EXCUSES!

[DJ_Money]

There's a difference between an excuse and a reasonable excuse. Learn it.

We watched the defending EC Champs raise their banner. We played without Shareef (who owns NJ), Nazr, Dion, and Theo for part of the game...and we didn't get blown out by 30.

NJ is the best team in the East, easily top 5 in the NBA. I'd like to see any team go in there and win on opening night. [censored], the Lakers lost on opening night, but of course, they were without Shaq and Fox. Excuses, excuses, excuses. I guess the Laker dynasty is over and it's back to the lottery in La-La Land.

[dimes4life]

Hey, the Hawks played like @&$# the first 3 qrt. and you know it. They looked sluggish. Tommorow, they better wup the Jazz's butt. Tommorow, is a redemption game for the Hawks or atlesat it better be. I will be watching, and taping.

[DJ_Money]

I didn't expect us to beat NJ. I honestly expected us to look like crap. We looked sluggish because we were sluggish. It wasn't much different from last year. Two guys move, three guys watch.

I am proud of the Hawks for not lying down and quitting. We could have easily lost by 30, instead we made a compeditive effort to come back, but fell short and lost by 11. Spirits should still be high in the Atlanta locker room, as they still are in my room.

[pathway23]

You're right they're excuses. But I'm still not worried. Only one game against a good team.

[Nique21]

Well I don't look at it as excuses. I look at it as facts. We lost two and a half starters (Reef, Johnson, and Theo). No back up center in Mohammed, and no Shaw MVP in Glover. When you have replacements like Harvey, and Dickau it doesn't make things much better. I think with more ball movement the Hawks could have made this a lot closer game. NJ shouldn't really even be a worry for us. We beat them 2 out of 3 last year, and didn't have Dog and Ratliff. So I think we will be fine when our real team plays them.

Some people are saying the Kings could win the West now, with the Lakers struggling. Man I hope so. The Kings would be an easy championship to win, if we play them in the finals. I think their foreign players need some American Education in basketball. The Hawks could definately teach it to them.

[Guest]

We make no mistake...NJ is a basketball team...They

have very few one on one players,but they have better

team chemistry than us.Mutombo/Kidd can adapt to

any type of team.

[Sage11]

I cant say that I am not concerned. We looked discombobulated last night. The injury curse seems to be alive and well and striking early for the Hawks. I am still very optimistic but also concerned. We will see what they do tonight.