HAWKS @ THUNDER, WE ARE BACK ON THE ROAD

[Plainview1981]

There must be so type of incentive to introduce doubt in every positive post on this message board. I swear that the word hopefully has been use over 500 times over the last 2 weeks. Hopefully they can keep winning. Hopefully they can beat OKC. If you think that heat check is getting old, then to me hopefully is definitely getting older.

What do you expect people to say? THe team that hasn't won since Clinton was president.

Edited November 9, 2008 by Hotlanta1981

[Peoriabird]

What do you expect people to say?

I expect them to say exactly what you said in another thread which is this team is different. This team is committed to playing defense (3rd in the league in field goal % allowed). They are take care of the ball (10 in the league in turnovers). They are more balanced. They look better prepared. The coaching is better ( notice that we are winning every 3rd quarter). The bench is better (Joe is averaging 36 minutes played per game). we are running while keeping our turnovers down. We are sharing the ball (5th in the league in assist). We are rebounding the ball (5th in the league in rebounding). We are shooting the ball better (7th in the league in 3 point shooting %).

We are doing all of these things against playoff teams, so why is there so much doubt?

[Plainview1981]

I expect them to say exactly what you said in another thread which is this team is different. This team is committed to playing defense (3rd in the league in field goal % allowed). They are take care of the ball (10 in the league in turnovers). They are more balanced. They look better prepared. The coaching is better ( notice that we are winning every 3rd quarter). The bench is better (Joe is averaging 36 minutes played per game). we are running while keeping our turnovers down. We are sharing the ball (5th in the league in assist). We are rebounding the ball (5th in the league in rebounding). We are shooting the ball better (7th in the league in 3 point shooting %).

We are doing all of these things against playoff teams, so why is there so much doubt?

Because it's early. Naturally people are still going to have some doubts.

[tonegully]

i would disappointed if we loose to the Thunder, i really would

[aznsensation]

i would disappointed if we loose to the Thunder, i really would

I think all would be disappointed especially riding so high the first 4 games. But hey game haven't started yet. Lets make it 5-0 baby!

[Dsinner]

Because it's early. Naturally people are still going to have some doubts.

Right, but surely you know we're going to go undefeated? Jesus, we're 4 games in and we're the Hawks and some of you act as if WE are the team to beat now. We look good, REAL good, but I'm pretty sure it's still OK to point out some of our flaws (we do have some you know) while realizing this is the NBA (wonder if some of you have been watching this league for any extended time period) and good teams loose to inferior teams ALL THE TIME. You'd be an idiot to say with 100% certainty that we will win this game.

99% sure, but 100%? GMAFB

[lethalweapon3]

Odds Marvin goes 100 minutes before taking his first free throw?

He got his career high of 33 against these same TAFKATS in Seattle last season. Of course, that's his home metro, so the motivation's probably not the same.

~lw3

Edited November 9, 2008 by lethalweapon3

[DJlaysitup]

I expect them to say exactly what you said in another thread which is this team is different. This team is committed to playing defense (3rd in the league in field goal % allowed). They are take care of the ball (10 in the league in turnovers). They are more balanced. They look better prepared. The coaching is better ( notice that we are winning every 3rd quarter). The bench is better (Joe is averaging 36 minutes played per game). we are running while keeping our turnovers down. We are sharing the ball (5th in the league in assist). We are rebounding the ball (5th in the league in rebounding). We are shooting the ball better (7th in the league in 3 point shooting %).

We are doing all of these things against playoff teams, so why is there so much doubt?

Agreed PB but as LOL said: "Now the Hawks have to show that they can take out a team that isn't as good. We have to see if Woodson can get these guys to focus on the task at hand, instead of looking ahead."

We should definitely win this game (and need to to show we can win sans JS)...but I doubt it will be a blowout...it's at their place.

P.S. - Durant played lousy the whole game last year - then made the big shot and was the ESPN feature on the highlights....I even remember one of the "analysts" saying something like "well it was against the Hawks". We need to slowly and willfully - grind them down....and get a W!.

[Iman]

I think everyone is underestimating how well Joe is playing. He'll carry us to wins probably 90% of the time over bottom 10 teams, even on the road. Any team can get hot and beat us, just as we used to win unexpected games a few years ago, but generally as long as Joe comes out and hits most of his first few shots them I"ll assume he'll carry us through most of those games against inferior opponents.

I see us going around 10 and 3 and not cooling off until December.

[exodus]

Being undefeated I expect the energy level to be high. With Smith out i doubt they take OKC lightly, especially since they lost to them last year.

Aside from the obvious absence of guys here last year who couldn't play d, to me the big difference has been the consistent effort. Last year the effort came and went. They might play hard one game but not the next. or they might play hard for 3 quarters but fall asleep in on quarter which would kill them.

They lost so many leads last year it was a joke. They would just let up. But they held their leads against Orlando and Toronto. They didn't let it become a close game.

[Atlsportfanz]

Joe, Marvin, and Bibby should be enough to carry us against the Thunder. As long as we continue to play solid D especially on Durant, we should be fine.

[Deeman]

Man I hate when the Hawks play on Sunday night. That's my Animation Domination night, oh well Go Hawks!

[DrReality]

From jay Walker

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Everyone Is Taking Notice of the Hawks

Watching PTI after the Hornets game (HHB Tivo'd that as well), we were treated to a segment of their "Over/Under" game which posed the question of whether the Hawks would be over or under 41 wins for the season (to those of us who went to the University of Florida, that would be .500).

Both Tony and Dan Le Batard said that, based on the Hawks finish last season, their run against the Celtics, and their impressive wins on the road at Orlando and New Orleans, that yes, why shouldn't they be a good bet to do this.

Also, Tony added that while the Hawks did lose Josh Childress in the off-season, "He's not Magic Johnson." More ESPN love.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors and their new shiny Twin Towers frontcourt of Chris Bosh and Jermaine O'Neal rolled into Philips Arena and got treated to the new and energized Hawks. The same defensive effort, the physicality, and the hustle was on display for the Raptors, who got frustrated by the fact that, surprisingly, the Hawks were allowed to play as Physical As They Wanna Be, though not cheap shots, and before they knew what hit them, the Hawks were up 12 at the half.

Unfortunately, during that first half, the Hawks watched as Josh Smith came down wrong on his ankle, rolled it, and is now going to miss a month with the dreaded HIGH ankle sprain.

Now, immediately, Hawks fans had to wonder how the team would respond to their game changer on defense not being able to return. After all, as the fine research at Peachtree Hoops (also linked in the HHB Bird Feeds area) has shown, the Hawks have been a very good defensive team thus far (Top 5 in fact), but they are sinister when Smith is in the game---top of the line good defensively. And there is no doubt, as the HHB has written already, that the key to this good start has been 100 percent related to the defensive effort. Even in the PHL game, when the Hawks were sloppy defensively was when they got down, and it took them the whole game to get back on top after just ONE poor defensive effort.

Now, with Smith out, what would the Hawks do? If one quarter of poor basketball with Smith was enough to drop the Hawks 20+ points behind the Sixers, what would the team do with Smith now out?

The verdict was this: Though the Hawks definitely missed Smith's shot blocking presence, the combination of extreme effort and taking care of the defensive boards kept the Hawks afloat, even with both Horford and Pachulia limited by foul trouble. Solomon Jones and Randolph Morris (still with that new player smell!) picked up the slack, though their +/- numbers were alright at best, and the Hawks ended up cruising to a fairly uncontested 110-92 victory.

Afterwards, everyone took notice. ESPN, NBATV, and even the Official Dad of the HHB sent an email to jump on the bandwagon, demanding a Hawks hat while remarking "4-0!!".

Smith will now be out a month's worth of games, though if we know him, we believe he'll make the usual youthful error of trying to come back too soon, but in the meantime the Hawks have to try and rise up, even in his absence.

HHB Prediction? The team will valiantly try to perform to the same levels as they have with Smith, but will fall short a few times. It's only natural. Josh Smith, who has had plenty of detractors, is a game changing force for the Hawks, and no amount of heart, which this team definitely has shown thus far, will be able to replace that.

But still----4 and 0---they have that going for them, which is nice

[exodus]

The Knicks are up 8 in the 4th against undefeated Utah.

Edit: The Knicks won. It's just us and the Lakers now.

[tonegully]

2 hours and counting..lets go hawks..the falcons did their part..its yall turn now

[exodus]

In the first quarter it seemed like nobody was trying to drive. The offense doesn't look good at all.

[DrReality]

Looks like we are missing Smoove. Hope we get into the groove soon.

[DJ_Money]

Good thing the defense showed up, because the offense sure hasn't...

[dalamchops]

wow, we are playing as well as the thunder...

[DrReality]

Their fans are more like college fans. Good to see.

We've missed a bunch of lay ups. Good thing we are close. Hope we get in synch in second half.