Dynamic Duo

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ajc.com

The dynamic duo

By Sekou K Smith | Saturday, August 9, 2008, 09:51 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Every time someone mentioned breaking up the Hawks’ Josh Smith-Al Horford frontcourt tandem in the past six weeks, I’d remind them of the one night that convinced me more than any other that doing so would be disastrous.

I’m talking about the night the Hawks knocked off the Los Angeles Lakers 98-95 before a raucous, pro-Lakers crowd February 6 at Philips Arena.

Joe Johnson led the Hawks that night with 28 points, outscoring Kobe Bryant (who was nursing an injured finger) by 17 points.

But the bigger story was the way Smith and Horford outplayed the Lakers’ frontline of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom.

Odom finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds and Gasol 12, seven and one block in just their third or fourth game together.

Smith ripped the Lakers 17 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and five blocks while Horford mashed them inside with 15 points and (what was then) a career-high 20 rebounds.

It was a majestic sight to see in person, these two youngsters carving up the two vets the way they did. I told someone after the game that if the Hawks could ride those two young cats occasionally the rest of the season, I believed they truly had a shot to make the playoffs.

I flip-flopped on that opinion down the stretch of the season, riding the roller coaster like everyone else. But as soon as the Hawks got into that playoff series with Celtics and Smith and Horford started going off in games 3 and 4, I went back to that Lakers game.

Whatever size disadvantage they might face on a given night, they present just as many matchup problems for their opponents.

Two guys this talented, this young and with so much potential still untapped … it’s almost as if the Hawks owed it to the game to keep this young dynamic duo together. If for no other reason than allowing us to see what becomes of them as a pair.

A few weeks ago Horford made it clear to me just how important it was for him to have Josh Smith watching his back every night. And Smith said the same about Horford when we spoke Friday night.

“I don’t think there’s any questions that our games complement each other,” Smith said. “You develop a chemistry out there that is hard to duplicate. And I think over the course of the season me and Al got our chemistry down, in terms of knowing how to cover each other’s backs and fuel each other’s fire, so to speak. We’re going to try and wreak havoc every night. Every night.”

REAL TALK: Smith was candid about his future Friday when he had no clue what the Hawks were going to do (for those of you fresh out of the Fulton County lock up, the Hawks matched before the nightly news came on).

I asked him about possibly having to leave his hometown to continue his NBA career, and he approached it with a measured tone and complete understanding of the business that is the NBA.

“It’s tough, Atlanta is where I’m from, where I was born and raised,” Smith said. “I love the city, and I love the fans. They’ve been great to me. It would be hard [to leave], but I’m always going to be an ATLien. I’ll never forget my roots. But I understand this is a business.”

Thankfully, Smith won’t have to worry about leaving anymore.

GUARD HELP: Two intriguing names keep popping up on my radar in terms of free agents (not named Smith finally) that are still floating around.

Jannero Pargo and Shaun Livingston.

Pargo is a scoring machine that has bounced around the league and produced everywhere he’s been (most recently in New Orleans). He’s available and would give whatever team he joins a scoring boost off the bench.

He’s also a former college teammate of Joe Johnson’s from Arkansas (he was at Johnson’s celebrity weekend last month in Tunica, Miss.) and from what I understand still one of his closest friends.

Livingston is a guy I’ve always thought could be spectacular in the right situation. But after the horrific knee injury he suffered and the subsequent year of rehab he’s gone through, any team that considers the former lottery pick will be gambling that he can make a return to somewhere near what he was before the injury.

With the need for still more scoring help off the bench, both guys would be intriguing options.

After speaking briefly with Salim Stoudamire Thursday afternoon, it seems clear to me that he is one player that will not be an option. He doesn’t appear to have any interest in pursuing a future with the Hawks (nor do they with him), which is a sad end to what should have been a much more fruitful relationship for both sides.

Stoudamire said (by phone from Portland) that he’s considering all his options from around the league, options that don’t include a fourth season with the Hawks (who never seemed to find the right fit for him).

It’s too bad. I’ll always believe he could have been a dangerous weapon for the Hawks, if used properly (sort of like Pargo has been throughout his career).

ANYTHING ELSE?: Francisco Elson’s name continues to be bandied about as an available big man the Hawks have made overtures about, which is a good thing because there is a need for another big in the rotation.

Anyone that has been here over the past couple of years knows how much I’ve discussed Elson (and my all-time favorite, somewhat anonymous veteran big Aaron Williams and even a homeboy like Othella Harrington) and what kind of fit I think he’d be for this team.

Sign up one more cat like that and the Hawks should be ready for training camp.

[Swish]

Too late!

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