Ryan, Horford make past blunders forgettable

[DrReality]

Not often Atlanta sports gets credit for doing something right (except for the Braves)

Ryan, Horford make past blunders forgettable

By Mark Bradley | Monday, October 20, 2008, 02:24 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

We Atlantans had come to regard two words - “the draft”- with the fear and loathing Bostonians held for Bucky Dent. We watched as Aundray Bruce and Bruce Pickens and Adam Keefe and Ed Gray became, albeit briefly, part of the local landscape. We saw the Falcons trade up to get Reggie Kelly. We saw Billy Knight snag Williams after Williams but not, alas, Deron Williams.

But now, for one shining moment, we have arrived at a point in Atlanta sporting history when all, draft-wise, is bliss. When last the Falcons picked, they took Matt Ryan. When last the Hawks picked, they landed Al Horford. Both were the No. 3 selections overall. Neither was a sure thing: Some wanted Mike Conley Jr. instead of Horford, and many preferred Glenn Dorsey to Ryan. Happily, both No. 3s are better than we dared dream.

Horford should have been the NBA’s rookie of the year. (He finished second to Kevin Durant.) Ryan will be the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year. Horford’s addition turned a loose collection of talent into something stronger, something finally capable of playing beyond the 82nd game. Ryan’s advent has rendered Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino yesterday’s news.

As Mike Smith, the Falcons’ coach, said after Ryan’s stunning performance against Chicago: “Matt’s got It. We’re not sure exactly what ‘It’ is, but Matt’s got It.”

So does Horford, who has the bearing of someone 10 years older. That was evident at Florida, where he was first among equals on two national championship teams. As essential as Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer and Taurean Green and even Lee Humphrey were, Horford was the Gator to whom others deferred. (Noah — and only Noah — called him “Horfy.”)

Horford spent last season making us forget he’s a rookie, and Ryan gives increasing lie to that designation with every week. Horford and Ryan are already linchpins of their organizations, and those organizations look better than they have in years because of these two men.

Ryan took command of the Falcons’ huddle on his first day of minicamp and took ownership of the locker room by spending $10,000 of his $72.5 million for a new sound system. Horford’s audience was less skeptical: The Hawks hadn’t done anything in a decade, and here was a hard-edged rookie who had two NCAA titles to his name. Even famous athletes gravitate toward winners.

And on one spring Saturday, the new stars aligned over Atlanta. On the day the Falcons drafted the quarterback from Boston College, the rookie from Florida helped power the Hawks to a playoff victory over the Boston Celtics at Philips Arena. First the rookie from Florida screened an inspirational DVD of the Ali-Foreman fight for his older mates, and then he ripped the imperial C’s with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Thus was the day of Matty Ice’s arrival the night Horfy fully arrived.

Because of these two draftees, hope grows in a city where the draft had become a continuing source of dread and the Falcons and Hawks had become unfunny jokes. The Hawks made the playoffs, and these Falcons just might. And if enthusiasm is indeed contagious, is drafting excellence about to become a civic epidemic?

Let’s recall that the Thrashers also had the No. 3 pick in the June draft, and the 18-year-old defenseman Zach Bogosian is already in the NHL. If he turns into Bobby Orr, or even Al MacInnis, we’ll know our long-beleaguered franchises are really and truly onto something.

[macdaddy]

I've never been a Bradley fan but this is a great article. Horford is a winner and he was the most important part of our team last year. There was no rookie wall. Very few rookie mistakes, rookie calls against him. He accidentally put TJ Ford in the hospital with a career threatening injury. Did he get rattled? was he tentative? And when playoff time came around his game elevated to another level.

[gsuteke]

I was wrong on Dorsey AND Conley

WHOOPS!!!

[Atlsportfanz]

I wanted Dorsey only because Qb's are so hit or miss. However, I'm very glad it was a hit!

I did push for Horford though. I didn't think Conley had the outside jumper that would stretch a defense.

[exodus]

Horford would have to average 25/15 to make people forget about Marvin over Paul/Deron and Shelden over Roy.

I am just hoping Horford becomes a 15/10 player which i think he can do. He just needs to be more assertive and learn to use his quickness against other bigs.

[Admin]

Horford would have to average 25/15 to make people forget about Marvin over Paul/Deron and Shelden over Roy.

Nope, because with Paul or Deron as the PG Al Horford could average 50/30.

[BusBoyIsBack]

I always thought Glenn Dorsey was overrated. I wanted Sedrick Ellis but it doesn't seem like he's any good either.

So far so good with Matt Ryan

[Gray Mule]

Second picks behind these two weren't bad either.

Falcons pick is their starting right tackle and Acie is becoming, we hope, what he was

drafted to be.

Sure is nice to have the draft actually mean something to our Atlanta teams.

GO FALCONS!! GO HAWKS!!

[Cwell]

Second picks behind these two weren't bad either.

Falcons pick is their starting right tackle and Acie is becoming, we hope, what he was

drafted to be.

Sure is nice to have the draft actually mean something to our Atlanta teams.

GO FALCONS!! GO HAWKS!!

Baker is the Left Tackle and a soon to be pro-bowler.

[Gray Mule]

Oops! My bad. He IS on the other side, isn't he. Guess you could say that I don't

know my right from my left.

Anyhow, he's a starter and appears to be doing his job quiet well.