Calm Down

[BlackHawkDown]

The site amazes me. I assumed that most on this site, save an infant or 2, were adults but I am beginning to question that. We are 13 games into a 82 game season and people are talking about the team has no heart. They have no coach, but that is a another subject. 1) the Hawks will make the playoffs whether thwy are a 1 or an 8 seed and they are capable of beating any team in the East. except perhaps the Pacers and Nets. 2) The team will make a decent run and in 03 -04 will be considerably better. I dont lose sleep over the Hawks I recommend the same to you all. All of these conversations are so premature it is ridiculous. Calm the f-- down. Just enjoy the season if they are garbage at the end of the year then throw a fit otherwise stop whining. It will make for more conversation during the off season.

[Diesel]

The fans here have been written a bad check. We have the talent to be one of the better teams in the East. We have great players and should win more than 60% of the games we play. However, when these fans who have been given a bad check see the check bounce... They don't know who to blame. They blame the players. They blame the fans. They blame Heart...

However, the true blame is COACHING. As I told you for the last 3 yrs, Lon can't get it done.

However, reality hurts.

BTW, Isiah's Indy team is 10-2.

[BlackHawkDown]

Well I hated Kruger before he was even hired. Kruger is a GD idiot. But when we turned Isiah down for him and the Pacers didn't go 82 -0 most hawksqauwkers started yacking that the Hawks made the rigth move. But the reason I haven't mentioned Isiah is because I intend to wait until the end of the season to gloat when all of my prediction come true from DD to Zeke.

[Gray Mule]

When the players miss their shots, let's blame Lon.

When they have silly turnovers, let's blame Kruger.

When the players don't execute the plays, let's blame

the coaching for the failure.

When the team goes into a sleepwalking mode, let's put

the blame on our coach {And his staff. He's not in this

alone, you know.} because it has to be the fault of

someone and it just can't be our talented players.

We have the best players. If they can't win, it isn't their

fault, it is the coaching.

Bull Feathers. Until these young men learn how to play

as a team, how to react as a team and not as individuals,

we will not be the best we can be.

We miss and need Nazr. He will be back before long

and this will help. We really miss DerMarr, hitting

those threes from the corner and playing good defense

and we just can't get him back this season.

Matt M. will help. He can be very good at times and

very bad at other times, but if he is hot, watch out

because he is capable of hitting those threes and also

hitting that open jump shot around the circle.

My hopes was for us to be at .500 at the all star break

and then make a run in the second half. I still believe

that we will do that.

If all the posters here on Hawksquawk can see the bad

things and have all the answers {And we do, you know --

we could fix the problems if they would only let us}

Then why can't the dumb owners and all the dumb

coaches do something about it???

[BlackHawkDown]

Graymule I agree with you to an extent. Everybody on here seems to be an expert and patience is in order. But the fact is Kruger is a bad coach.

[chillzatl]

I know a lot goes on the players. Missing wide open shots, turning the ball over with a look of "owell" on your face and taking contested, long range shots out of frustration. That's all on the players.

But you also see them out there at times looking lost. They will come out with an obvious play drawn up and the other teams will react properly to it so that they can't get into the play (covering the post to prevent the pass in, etc). And at that point our guys are lost. They just don't seem properly prepared in tight situations. I mean isn't that partly what practice is for, working on those situations?

I've given Lon plenty of leeway so far. I was openminded and urged others to give him the benefit of the doubt. I'm still cutting him some slack becuause we lack enough team chemistry to really judge him fully. But the clock is ticking.

[Guest]

The team does a poor job of putting pressure on

the other teams and they don't force turnovers.More

defensive pressure would be good for the team.

Keys to improving the season are:

1)More defensive pressure

2)3pt threat and some slashing

3)Stop the turnovers

4)Fire Lon and Pete

[BlackHawkDown]

I dont care what anybody says but reef isnt a PF he is a SF/PF hybrid and hurts us on D. But he contributes enough on offense make up for it. In last night's loss notice Theo had no blocks and the team shot poorly overall. Lon is an Idiot.

[Guest]

Shareef is a tweener without a doubt...In fact,all

of our starters are tweeners to a degree...

JT=combo guard

Ira=Can guard SG's but is really a Michael Curry type of

Forward

Big Dog=Undersized PF...Didn't he play PF in college?He's

alittle slow footed for a SF and lacks outside shooting

but can rebound like a PF.

Theo=really a atheletic PF with alot of quickness.

[Guest]

Slashers - we have two:

1. JT - we've seen it from him in the past, but this season, perhaps due to his full-time move to the point, he hasn't done it much (does anyone recall if he stopped driving to the hole much towards the end of last year where he was again exclusively at the point?).

2. Dion. His minutes are such a flux, one wonders about his confidence at times, but hopefully it remains high and he remains injury free.

Sidenote - with Crawford back, as his rhythm and timing progressing, I have a feeling we'll see less pt from Ham. Like it or not, it's probably the reality. We still truly need a 3pt threat

[Guest]

JT is a jump shooter and Dion doesn't play enough.

We need some 3pt shooting and slashing coming

from the starting lineup.

[Guest]

says give team two months...

[d2v16DKG]

Diezel, I know you're gonna kill me for this but that's too bad because its true. Stop criticizing Kruger for the team's mistakes. It takes time for new players to jell: dog and Theo are new and they need time to blend in to make a cohesive unit. I was at the game in Boston Friday night and it was the Boston fans that won that game! They supported their team all the way and the noise at the end was earth-shattering. So why can't we show that kind of support in Atlanta! Believe me it makes a big difference- especially in close games. The Atlanta Hawk fans are a joke around the league with all the other announcers. I turn on the game (NBA Pass) and see so many empty seats in Atlanta. I know if I lived there, I wouldn't miss a game and cheer my a** off in the process. Go ahead kill me for what I'm saying, but it's true. I'll be in New Jersey next week cheering for the Hawks wearing by Hawk Jacket, t-shirt, hat and wristband. Wish I could fly to Atlanta more often. Stop killing Kruger, he's not the problem.

[Diesel]

Getting the team prepared to play?

Check.

Making sure that the team has an offensive game play that works to the strengths of it's players?

Check.

Make sure that players known their roles?

Check.

Determining what adjustments need to be made during the middle of a game.

Check.

Determining where we have matchup advantages and using them.

Check.

Player Motivation.

Check.

So here's the bottom Line for you are anyone who thinks that Lon doesn't deserve a great share of the blame.

All the points I mentioned above, Lon fail. It's useless for us to say... "Oh, let us wait and see what happens when this team has played awhile" When It's evident that Lon is failing at the very rudimentary things required to coach a team.

If I have a box that's not strong enough to support paper, what makes me think that after a while of sitting, it will be able to hold bricks.

Lon has done what he has supposed to do. He trained the young players to a point. NOW, his job is over. He's not capable of going any further and we expect to win. Also, the players have changed. Now, we don't have a young JT, Glover, and DJ for him to train. NOW, we have Theo, SAR, and Big Dog... who has the ability to go further than we are playing right now.

Gelling or not, there are many mistakes that Lon is making that is contributing to the losses that we are taking... AND Not every win has been convincing. Just the Laker, Utah, and Toronto wins... Others have been....nailbiters.