Ratliff didn't make All Defensive Team! HUH!

[Hawksman]

What is this world coming to! How can the league's leading shot blocker not make the all defensive team? I am PO'd about this. This does seem right at all. This is stupid!

[jeddelong]

While I happen to like Ratliff and even own one of his jerseys, I sometimes think that he doesn't make the difference he could make. Yes, he blocks shots. Where are his rebounds? How many times have we seen him black shots for goaltends (I am convinced he wants to be on sportscenter far too much) What kind of difference did Ratliff really make on the team? Were we better with him, when he stepped up in the second half? Yes, however, was he the difference maker he could be, I say no. I think it is safe to say he didn't play consisently throughout the year (note, hawks fans recognize what he did as a whole because they focus intently, I have a sense that for the rest of the league his act didn't catch their attention until the end.

Question: Did Babcock's e-mail address work when you sent him an e-mail? I would like to send him my wishes. I think he would be a perfect match in Portland (a team trying to clean up its image). I assume people who don't work at a business proably don't check their e-mail there anymore?!

[Hawksman]

He told me since he has been relieved, he sometimes would not get his email. Try it again. He always responds to my mail. Thanks for that though. I hope he gets it. Ira Newble should have been considered to on the All-defensive team.

[cyman3]

we didnt make the playoffs....

until we do, RATLIFF and NEWBLE will never get their props.

Yes RATLIFF does make a difference on our team. W/o him, every team has a layup drill type of game against us. He even gave us some Ws by himself with his good last second play.

w/o Newble, MJ/KOBE/MCGRADY go off for 40 points every night.

Ratliff should have made 2nd team, and Newble should have been considered- but until we win... nobody will care... nobody will watch us

[Guest Walter]

[Diesel]

We must make the playoffs.

My mind thinks back to other players who played on NON playoff teams but still made defense 1st or 2nd teams?

Deke. He played with Denver... and His Last 2 years with us?

GP. I know that the Glove had some non playoff years.

Actually, for the most part, your theory is true. I think it boils down to reputation and playoffs though. Most guys have that reputation.

What would have helped Theo is if he didn't get manhandled so much in the post.

[Guest]

I've said this before, but it's like Gold Gloves: reputation carries the most weight. Newble is on a non-playoff team, thus he'd have to be spectacular, truly spectacular, to be on the list (though he should have recieved at least a couple votes). It's probably a large reason that KMart didn't get on one of the teams...and Shaq, who is NOT a great defender or rebounder, did...

As for Deke...he had those teams in the playoff hunt, which we were not. Additionally, Theo came on like gangbusters the last part of the season to gain that block title...a time when we continued to fall further and further into oblivion and therefore away from the public/media eye. I mean, even now, they'll say "Duncan/KG were top three in the L in boards, trailing only Ben Wallace." They'll also say, "Wallace was second in the L in blocked shots, Duncan third"...with no mention of who got the title.