Hawks ripe to blossom —- soon

[DrReality]

Hawks ripe to blossom —- soon

Despite ‘clunker,’ team keeps climbing ladder

By Mark Bradley

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Rick Sund arrived in town three weeks after the Hawks took the Celtics to a Game 7 and proceeded to tamp down any lingering euphoria. This was not yet a powerhouse, he said, and the new general manager set this modest goal: “To get back to the playoffs and improve on our record.”

Sund’s team played its 50th game Saturday night, and it was, sad to say, what the new GM calls “a clunker —- you’re going to have three of those a year, and you hope no more.”

Let’s hope. The Hawks were beaten by 24 points at home by a terrible Clippers team. But one game, wretched as it was, cannot eclipse what has become a bright, shiny season. The Hawks still hold the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference and are on pace to go 48-34, which would represent a clear upgrade from the eighth-place finish and the 37-45 record of last season.

And the GM is beginning, ever so warily, to believe. “We’ve had so many injuries, and we’ve handled it,” Sund said. (For the record, he spoke Saturday morning.) “That’s a real endorsement of this team.”

True, the Hawks are only 8-11 since New Year’s Day, but circumstances have grown exceedingly extenuating. Their starting five has been intact for only 20 of the 50 games. Al Horford missed a dozen games in January with a bruised knee. Marvin Williams missed two with a concussion, and Joe Johnson missed two this week with the flu. And then, just as Johnson returned, Mike Bibby sat out Saturday’s game with a sprained foot.

And still the Hawks have risen from fifth in the East to fourth over the past month. Said Mike Woodson, the coach: “Our guys just keep fighting … I don’t know if I’m surprised, but I’m excited.”

It wasn’t so long ago that folks doubted if they’d raise even a whimper this winter. ESPN.com pegged them to go 32-50, and Sports Illustrated rated them 11th-best in the 15-team conference. Said Sund: “We’ve proved to be a little better than I thought we’d be,” he said, “and I’m a pretty even-keeled guy. … I was thinking something like 42-40, or 46 or 47 wins. … A lot of people in the league didn’t think that was reasonable.”

At the rate they’re traveling, the Hawks will better last season’s record by 11 games. That sort of upgrade usually coincides with a major personnel infusion, but all the Hawks did was swap subs Flip Murray and Mo Evans for the Grecian earner Josh Childress. This would suggest that, at long last, the young core has ripened.

“We’ve grown from the time I inherited five years ago,” Woodson said. “I doubt we do anything at the [Feb. 19] trade deadline —- I don’t know. But I’m very happy with where we are. If we stay status quo … hey, that’s OK.”

(Those were also pregame comments. Afterward Woodson said: “We just didn’t compete —- that’s the first time I’ve seen that happen this year at home.”)

Last February the Hawks remade themselves by trading for Bibby. This season began amid speculation that the point guard, who’s due to become a free agent, would himself be exported. There’s no chance of that happening now. You saw what happened without him Saturday, didn’t you?

If the Hawks made even a minor move these next 10 days, it will constitute an upset. Sund seems content to wait until summer, when he’ll work to keep Bibby, to re-up Williams, perhaps even to make a midlevel move using the rights to Childress. “The real game plan is to see this [season] through and then evaluate our club,” Sund said. “That seems to make the most sense.”

And it does. Truth to tell, there’s no player available who’s apt to lift these Hawks past Boston or Cleveland this spring. But, just as this season has been better than the last, the next one should be better

[Plainview1981]

Hawks ripe to blossom —- soon

Despite ‘clunker,’ team keeps climbing ladder

By Mark Bradley

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Rick Sund arrived in town three weeks after the Hawks took the Celtics to a Game 7 and proceeded to tamp down any lingering euphoria. This was not yet a powerhouse, he said, and the new general manager set this modest goal: “To get back to the playoffs and improve on our record.”

Sund’s team played its 50th game Saturday night, and it was, sad to say, what the new GM calls “a clunker —- you’re going to have three of those a year, and you hope no more.”

Let’s hope. The Hawks were beaten by 24 points at home by a terrible Clippers team. But one game, wretched as it was, cannot eclipse what has become a bright, shiny season. The Hawks still hold the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference and are on pace to go 48-34, which would represent a clear upgrade from the eighth-place finish and the 37-45 record of last season.

And the GM is beginning, ever so warily, to believe. “We’ve had so many injuries, and we’ve handled it,” Sund said. (For the record, he spoke Saturday morning.) “That’s a real endorsement of this team.”

True, the Hawks are only 8-11 since New Year’s Day, but circumstances have grown exceedingly extenuating. Their starting five has been intact for only 20 of the 50 games. Al Horford missed a dozen games in January with a bruised knee. Marvin Williams missed two with a concussion, and Joe Johnson missed two this week with the flu. And then, just as Johnson returned, Mike Bibby sat out Saturday’s game with a sprained foot.

And still the Hawks have risen from fifth in the East to fourth over the past month. Said Mike Woodson, the coach: “Our guys just keep fighting … I don’t know if I’m surprised, but I’m excited.”

It wasn’t so long ago that folks doubted if they’d raise even a whimper this winter. ESPN.com pegged them to go 32-50, and Sports Illustrated rated them 11th-best in the 15-team conference. Said Sund: “We’ve proved to be a little better than I thought we’d be,” he said, “and I’m a pretty even-keeled guy. … I was thinking something like 42-40, or 46 or 47 wins. … A lot of people in the league didn’t think that was reasonable.”

At the rate they’re traveling, the Hawks will better last season’s record by 11 games. That sort of upgrade usually coincides with a major personnel infusion, but all the Hawks did was swap subs Flip Murray and Mo Evans for the Grecian earner Josh Childress. This would suggest that, at long last, the young core has ripened.

“We’ve grown from the time I inherited five years ago,” Woodson said. “I doubt we do anything at the [Feb. 19] trade deadline —- I don’t know. But I’m very happy with where we are. If we stay status quo … hey, that’s OK.”

(Those were also pregame comments. Afterward Woodson said: “We just didn’t compete —- that’s the first time I’ve seen that happen this year at home.”)

Last February the Hawks remade themselves by trading for Bibby. This season began amid speculation that the point guard, who’s due to become a free agent, would himself be exported. There’s no chance of that happening now. You saw what happened without him Saturday, didn’t you?

If the Hawks made even a minor move these next 10 days, it will constitute an upset. Sund seems content to wait until summer, when he’ll work to keep Bibby, to re-up Williams, perhaps even to make a midlevel move using the rights to Childress. “The real game plan is to see this [season] through and then evaluate our club,” Sund said. “That seems to make the most sense.”

And it does. Truth to tell, there’s no player available who’s apt to lift these Hawks past Boston or Cleveland this spring. But, just as this season has been better than the last, the next one should be better

*Yawn*. What a load of hooey.

Edited February 8, 2009 by Hotlanta1981

[frosgrim]

Bradly and Sund make the correct point- Last night's game was one of those few games where the give a damn factor was out the door for the Hawks.

Think about it, the Hawks have had only 20 games in 50 where the starting 5 have played together. You could argue that only about 10 of those when the starting 5 was healthy.

Now, take into account that the Hawks had to geek themselves up to play 2 games without JJ, and win them. JJ returns and the floor general, Bibby, goes out. It is no wonder to me that this team completely collapsed last night. They looked spent both physically and mentally. It happens to every team and every player. More so, its common when you have a young team that is still learning to win.

I will take last night's game as one of those brain beatings that happen every now and then and move on.

Bradly's main point is that there is a lot of talent on the club and he's right. This piece, IMO, was written to try and get Atlanta enthused by the Hawks. Bradly is starting to watch them so he's sharing his thoughts. No harm in that.

[lethalweapon3]

AJC's despisal of the Knightmare was deeper than I could've possibly imagined. What a honeymoon for Woody and the Hawks on these editorial pages!

To whomever is holding the real Bradley, and Moore, and their notoriously negative ATL-sports-drivel hostage, though, I'll pay ransom to keep them bound 'n gagged.

~lw3

[mrhonline]

I still think a small move of some of the end-of-the-rotation young guys (e.g., Gardner/Morris) for a vet big like Brian Skinner or Francisco Elson makes sense.

[tonegully]

Now that those numbers were pointed out, i can kind of understand our situation. I want the Hawks to win all their games so when they lose i get upset. But I do understand that we have improved without making a real move last season. I really think its our coach holding us back though.

I really hope we resign Bibby and Marvin they are very much needed on this team. At least Sund has a real outlook on the team and not some fantasy and seeing something that is not there. He knows we are not a championship team yet. I like moving Chillz rights for a quality or solid big man. I really wish he would move the coach though.

[Wurider05]

DIdn't we just have our asses handed to us by Orlando a few weeks ago. They are making it seem like this is rare or something.

[DrReality]

"To whomever is holding the real Bradley, and Moore, and their notoriously negative ATL-sports-drivel hostage, though, I'll pay ransom to keep them bound 'n gagged."

That's funny. But given that writer's jobs are in serious jeopardy, I guess they write what they are told.

[Popeye]

DIdn't we just have our asses handed to us by Orlando a few weeks ago. They are making it seem like this is rare or something.

That was at Orlando though.

[tonegully]

And Orlando is no joke and they were playing at 100 percent

[h2t]

Woody extension here we come.

[PlayaPat420]

That was at Orlando though.

yeah and we got beat by 40 points instead of 20. :doh: still terrible