Kenny Smith Article

[AmishBoy]

Found this article of Yahoo. Haven't totally read it but wanted to share.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Arxt...=yhoo&type=lgns

I was fortunate to play on two NBA championship teams, but I’ve also played for teams that had no possible shot at winning a title. So it’s easy for me to see when a team has that “it” factor. It’s even easier to know when a team doesn’t have it.

What do you have to do to become an NBA champion? There are a lot of teams vying for the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy, but only one can have it and this season has the most parity I’ve seen in my years of following basketball.

There are telltale signs that show whether a team is ready for the trophy. If you go through this checklist, you can see if your favorite team is ready to win it all or go fishing early.

1. Style of play: A team should have a defined style. Are they a halfcourt team or a fastbreak team? Are they defensive oriented?

A team needs a defined style, so when things aren’t going well the players can return to the system’s set principles.

2. A quality point guard and an inside presence: Having an inside-out game is what gets you easy baskets.

3. A superstar: Not a really good player. You need a superstar, a potential Hall of Fame player. Someone who can take over a game.

4. A beast: This doesn’t necessarily have to be your most talented player, though it usually is. You want a player who doesn’t panic when things go bad. A player that takes the big shot or makes the key defensive play. Someone with enough experience to steady the team when the pressure rises.

5. A great bench: You need guys who can come in the game and change the momentum. And if you don’t have anyone who’s even close to being Sixth Man of the Year, you better be wary.

6. Adversity: There is a point in every championship season when the team vows to play harder, smarter and, most importantly, play together. That usually results from adversity and it happens in a variety of ways: an upsetting loss, a players-only meeting, a trade or an injury to a key player.

7. A magic moment: This often follows adversity. Pulling out an important victory when you’re about to lose. A shot that goes in from halfcourt. A record-breaking winning streak.

8. Chemistry: There doesn’t have to be a love fest going on in the locker room, but championship teams need to have players who respect each other and their coach. A team that respects itself is a team that grows.

So go down this checklist with an objective eye. You’ll soon know which teams have a chance to be champs and which don’t.

[PureGreatness]

kenny smith might seem like a nut at times but he knows basketball. i also guess he knows a contenderr from a non contender since he played for 8 teams in his career(i think).

[TheTruth]

Let's see...

1. We have no style of play. Until about a game or two ago, it was "Give it to Joe and watch what happens." We dont play uptempo consistently enough to be called an uptempo team, we aren't defensive-oriented, and there is nothing else I can describe the Hawk's style of play besides nonexistent.

2. We finally have a quality PG, yet we dont have that true inside presence yet. Horford is trying to develop one, but he is a rookie (although awesome one) that is still learning. A true Center could give us one, but those are hard to come by. We will see what happens...

3. Joe Johnson is a very good player. Does the rest of the league regard him as a superstar? Most dont. Most see him as a very good player. However, during the past 10 games or so, and with the makeup of our current team, he is the HAWKS' superstar. Josh Smith could be one if he puts everything together and cuts down on the TOs.

4. A beast eh? Look no further than Al Horford. Rookie Wall, what rookie wall? He is a rookie putting up double-doubles every night, out of position, AS A ROOKIE! Center is one of the top two positions that is hardest to excel at immediately (the other is PG), and for him to do so is nothing short of amazing. He was hobbled by Dwight Howard-itis at the free throw line early in season, but since then he has dramatically increased his FT% to over 70%. He is going to be something truly special in the years to come.

5. We have an under-utilized and inconsistent at bes bench. Chill is basically all we have in terms of offensive production, while Acie provides generally good defense at the Point. Needless to say, we will need a helluva lot more bench production if we are ever going to go far anywhere.

6. Too many times we have heard players say "We need to step our game up" and "We were humbled by that loss" etc etc only to have them continue to lose. It appears as though Joe has decided to take the team on his back and ride them into the playoffs. With the playoffs fully within our reach, it is a time of great adversity for the Hawks. Will they rise to the challenge and take what has elusively escaped their grasps for nearly a decade?

7. Magic moments happen, we have seen many from Joe' half-court 3 pointers, infamous Woodson hugs, and Bibby, bad heel and all, sticking it out each and every game because Acie was injured and we had no one else to run the point for 30 mins a game. There is no way to predict magic moments, so it is all about making the most of them when they happen.

8. Chemistry...now that Bibby has been here for a good amount of games now, and our young guys have played together for several years, it appears as though the chemistry is there between our PLAYERS. I cannot say the same for how that chemistry extends to the coach. A change in coaches and GM could do wonders in that respect.

I would add a 9th caveat to Kenny's list. It helps to have a decent coach and FO that knows what they are doing, is willing to spend money, and will make the right moves more often than not. Now, if only we could get ours to do the former and latter...