A different point of view.

[coachx]

The Hawks are not that far from making a legitamate playoff run and that is all that is needed to attract the attention of a star FA in 2005 to put them over the top. The Wizards (Jordan)are out, Bucks future is uncertain to say the least (Payton, Cassell, Karl?), the Knicks won't be any better unless they find someone to rip off in a trade. The Bulls coud be better. These are the teams the Hawks will probably be fighting for the playoffs along with the Raptors who have a gimp star, no coach, and an aging 6'9'' center.

So what do you think ?

A vet back up pg (Kenny Anderson) a little luck at #21 in the form of a shooting guard is all they really need granted JT, and 2 out of 3 Glover, Newbell, and DJ are brought back.

I think McDavid has the financial where-with-all to do this. I think he will not have a problem paying a little luxury tax to win. He has over paid for the team so unlike the debt ridden corporation he has this option. After all he is from Dallas where Mark Cuban pays any price to be competitive, I hope McDavid feels the same way.

Maybe Dog can be moved for Glen Rice or Terrel Brandon to open up cap space in one year rather than 2. But if that does not happen this is what I try to do with Dog.

You guys are probably sick of hearing me preach about stability in order to form chemistry in order to begin a season without putting your self in a hole.

So here is another topic worth discussing concerning Dog. Instead of repeating how Dog is wrong for this team lets try to visualize how the Hawks can be succesful with Dog and mask his weaknesses since he will can only be moved for cap space (players ready to retire in Brandon or Rice).

First off,Dog is not a 1st option on offense no matter what he tells you. He can play one on one but should not dribble more than twice max. He plays best when he plays off the skills of other people (ex. with Bucks he played off of Allen and Cassell who could dribble, penetrate and dish, making life easy for Dog). The 1st 1/2 of the season was trying to be something he is not, the 1st option. Part of this is b/c Reef was hurting which is true, causing Dog to hog it more than usual (I think this wore Dog down too). JT can also be blamed for giving him the ball too much, but that is what stability is all about, learning how to play with your team in the most efficient manner possible (definition of chemistry).

As the year went on Reef demanded the ball more. Next year Reef needs to be comfortable being the 1st option and demand double teams to open it up for JT and Dog. Terry will continue to break down defenses off the dribble and will look more and more like a true pg with mad game. He now knows where Dog likes the ball, specifically Dog off the screen curling around the elbow for a J which is hard to stop when you don't run it over and over. He will not be asked to take it one on one from the top of the key like he was in the 1st 1/2 of last year with Kruger at the helm.

The players know this, I hope. In other words, roles are already defined for the Hawks big 3 unlike last year. Reef is the 1st option for JT and Dog the 2nd. JT can create a shot whenever he wants; the key is creating shots for Dog and Reef, which he got better and better at doing. In my opinion JT will continue to grow at pg, especially with a year of playing with Reef, Dog, and Theo under his belt. Remember, Terry started the year with 3 new starters and Reef (the onle starter he was comfortable with )was far from 100% causing the Hawks to have the horrible start.

Back to Dog. His major offensive weakness is his tendancy to dribble the ball too much, causing turn overs. I'm sure coaches have told him this his whole carrer, all he needs is 2 dribbles max to get his shot off, if its not their give it up. He did this more with Stotts but Kruger had him handling the ball way too much all over the court in p[laces Dog is not comfortable.

In my opinion Dog may better off the bench if he and Reef can't share the ball effectively and the Hawks will have some fire powewr off the bench. He could then post up more (like with Bucks)if he and Reef are used more often seperately. He would still get his 35 minutes a game and chemistry may be better served. I think we all love the hustle that Ira brings to the starting unit, it is contageous, the laziness of Dog is also contageous. Too bad it will be impossible to convince Dog of this.

Too back up this point. Stotts would sit Reef before Dog (was this b/c of Reefs back, Reef will never tell)Dog, however, seemed to wear down the quicker of the two, especially as the season wore on. Dog would be the only offensive option to start the 2nd Q but did not have the gas to light it up. If he came in with 6 minutes left in the 1st he could get warmed up and be ready to light it up when Reef gets a rest at the beginning of the 2nd Q, hopefully causing less scoreing droughts(Anderson would be great to bring in then too, to keep JT from wearing down). Of course Reef and Dog must learn to play together and share the ball better. Dog forced alot of shot when Reef wanted the ball in the post. Remember, THIS WAS DOG'S 1ST SEASON PLAYING WITH A TRUE LOW POST OFFENSIVE THREAT, they will share it better next year (hopefully).

Heck, the defense will be better from day 1 b/c Theo has his confidence back and the team knows how to play with Theo better now. (They fouled people driving the lane way too much b/c Theo was there to block, the Hawks bailed out alot of people. Heck, Theo could average over 4 blocks a game now that they know how to play with him.

Sorry, I tend to ramble once I get started but I hope I didn't get too off track.

[KB21]

With Glenn Robinson, or without him, there are two things the Hawks HAVE (I can't emphasize that enough) to improve upon.

1. Protecting the basketball.

2. Improving defensively.

The Hawks will not become a playoff team no matter how explosive their offense can be unless they improve on these two things.

The Hawks don't have a lack of talent in the starting five. They lack depth overall and veteran leadership, but they don't lack talent. The Hawks lacking talent is a myth that some disgruntled fans who don't know a [censored] thing about the game have spewed onto several message boards.

Things the Hawks can't do if they want to improve this year:

1. They can't count on DerMarr Johnson coming back and becoming the player he had the talent to be. The injury he had makes it too risky to put that much on him. They can give him a shot and see how he handles it. If he makes it, then it's gravy. But they can't approach things as if they have Johnson in the bag.

2. They can't count on the 21st pick becoming an instant starter. They can approach that pick two ways though. They can make the pick with the idea of adding some much needed depth, or they can make that pick with an eye towards 2-3 years from now and take one of the high school kids with a lot of potential (i.e. Travis Outlaw).

The Hawks don't have a lot of wiggle room to do things that will definitely improve the team, so the best thing they can do is maintain some form of continuity. I think they need to bring back both Terry and Glover as the starters at guard, and keep the starting 5 of Terry, Glover, Robinson, Abdur-Rahim, and Ratliff together for the time being. This group was making progress last season, and that needs to continue. Ira Newble, unfortunately, will likely be priced out of the Hawks range this year.

The issue of a veteran leadership presence in the locker needs to be addressed. Two players that will be available and have expressed an interest in ending their careers in Atlanta are Steve Smith and Kenny Anderson.

Coaching wise, if they can get a Paul Silas or a Mike Fratello, then they should do it. Otherwise, I'd rather keep Terry Stotts. You give me a choice between Stotts and Dunleavy, and I will take Stotts.