Realistic and Justified Fears for this MIA/ATL Series

[khaos7]

Lets be real, guys. I love my Hawks. Watched every game they played during the 13 win season. Endured the Lon Kruger debacle and playoff promise. Suffered through the Nique trade and the many second round exits during the Mookie,Deke, Smitty era. Swallowed a bitter pill during the Boston Nique/Bird showdown. I celebrated when we took Boston to seven last year.

That said...

As big of a fan as I am, I have legitimate concern about this series. Not because we don't have enough talent. I just remember what went down in that Dallas/Miami championship series. Wade is an extraordinary talent. I can't take that away from him. He can score 50 at will. He plays angry. That said, he also receives the benefit of a stupid amount of calls from the refs. And my concern is, no matter how hard our guys play, key players will be put in foul trouble. Wade will get And 1's on what should be charges. I'm not playing the panicky fan slant here. We've seen it happen.

This is what frustrates me about the NBA's officiating. Unlike the NFL where an Arizona can make runs and you don't have a ton of questionable calls that happen at the frequency the NBA does.

Are you really confident we can win this series? Although alot of people said they'd prefer to face Miami over Philly (due to our records against them). However, at least against Philly, I feel we would be playing on an even playing field. I just have the erie feeling the refs will influence the outcome of this thing.

[buckeye242424]

Lets be real, guys. I love my Hawks. Watched every game they played during the 13 win season. Endured the Lon Kruger debacle and playoff promise. Suffered through the Nique trade and the many second round exits during the Mookie,Deke, Smitty era. Swallowed a bitter pill during the Boston Nique/Bird showdown. I celebrated when we took Boston to seven last year.

That said...

As big of a fan as I am, I have legitimate concern about this series. Not because we don't have enough talent. I just remember what went down in that Dallas/Miami championship series. Wade is an extraordinary talent. I can't take that away from him. He can score 50 at will. He plays angry. That said, he also receives the benefit of a stupid amount of calls from the refs. And my concern is, no matter how hard our guys play, key players will be put in foul trouble. Wade will get And 1's on what should be charges. I'm not playing the panicky fan slant here. We've seen it happen.

This is what frustrates me about the NBA's officiating. Unlike the NFL where an Arizona can make runs and you don't have a ton of questionable calls that happen at the frequency the NBA does.

Are you really confident we can win this series? Although alot of people said they'd prefer to face Miami over Philly (due to our records against them). However, at least against Philly, I feel we would be playing on an even playing field. I just have the erie feeling the refs will influence the outcome of this thing.

With a star player, and the shady things that have been rumored and proven (see Donaghy) with NBA refs, your concern is legit. The NBA would love to pit Wade vs. LeBron in the second round, as opposed to the Hawks.

I like D. Wade. I always have. Although, I have a sneaky suspicion after the series I will hate him because of the calls he's going to get. He's no flopper like Pierce, but he will get his share of phantom calls I'm wagering. I hope it doesn't cost the Hawks the series...one because I'm a fan obviously, but refs should not determine the outcome of a game/series.

[exodus]

The only way the Heat can win is if Beasley really goes off. Otherwise i don't think they have any chance. I don't think the series will be close enough for any phantom calls to matter.

[gsuteke]

Expectations are high now.

The difference between what we expect out of Atlanta is night/day compared to last year after the Bibby trade. We were still giddy about even seeing playoff basketball then.

If the Hawks bow out in the 1st Round this year there will be an extraordinary amount of dissapointment. The stakes have been raised. Even if Atlanta makes it past Miami and loses to the Cavs in 5 I still don't think many will view this as a successful season.

All we can do now is sit back and enjoy the ride. Don't the playoffs start this weekend?

[cam1218]

I'm really worried about this series. Like I said in another post, the Hawks haven't won a playoff series in a very long time. I don't care who we would be playing, until the Hawks prove they can win a playoff series we should all be a little worried. With that said though, we are a better team than the Heat and we should beat them. We won at their place earlier this season and they lost their one game so far here at Philips. Even if they win today they know that the Hawks probably weren't giving 100%.

Wade is going to get his calls, we all know that. What is his supporting cast going to do? If Wade is getting his calls at Philips will we drive and try to get some too or continue to shoot jump shots? Joe Johnson is an all star and deserves to be getting treated the same as Wade at a playoff game in his own arena. Time will only tell..

Edited April 14, 2009 by cam1218

[khaos7]

The only way the Heat can win is if Beasley really goes off. Otherwise i don't think they have any chance. I don't think the series will be close enough for any phantom calls to matter.

Here is the thing. If Wade goes off and the refs gives him their obligatory phantom calls, his play could become infectious and give guys like Beasley cause to step their games up. Think about Daniel Gibson. Nobody heard of him until the playoffs. However, the stage and playing along Lebron seemed to rub off on him and he and LBJ tore Detroit to shreds. So I can see Beasley, Chalmers, or Cook going off because of the this. I'm with buckeye. I can see myself hating Wade after this series. I'm just not confident about this series. And it's not because I don't trust my team. I don't trust the officiating and I've seen series where a better team has lost to a superstar led team that got the benefit of untimely calls. Put it this way, i can see Wade getting a disputed call to win a game with 5 seconds left before I could Joe. However, I can see Joe going to the basket, getting hacked in the same scenario, and not getting the call. And that, my friends, is an unsettling propostion.

[HawkItus]

I'm really not worried about this series. I think the Hawks don't even need 7 games to handle this. Miami is about 2 years away from really being a threat.

[buckeye242424]

Expectations are high now.

The difference between what we expect out of Atlanta is night/day compared to last year after the Bibby trade. We were still giddy about even seeing playoff basketball then.

If the Hawks bow out in the 1st Round this year there will be an extraordinary amount of dissapointment. The stakes have been raised. Even if Atlanta makes it past Miami and loses to the Cavs in 5 I still don't think many will view this as a successful season.

All we can do now is sit back and enjoy the ride. Don't the playoffs start this weekend?

I would hope this is 100% untrue. Especially around here where everybody knows the purgatory being a Hawks fan has been like over the past decade. I understand expectations have risen, but anyway you slice it, this season is far from a disappointment. The wins alone in the regular season have made this a complete success (compared to past years in this organization). I would hope that if Atlanta WINS a playoff series, then loses to the best team in the east - maybe basketball - people will believe this year was a success and not a failure.

[khaos7]

I would hope this is 100% untrue. Especially around here where everybody knows the purgatory being a Hawks fan has been like over the past decade. I understand expectations have risen, but anyway you slice it, this season is far from a disappointment. The wins alone in the regular season have made this a complete success (compared to past years in this organization). I would hope that if Atlanta WINS a playoff series, then loses to the best team in the east - maybe basketball - people will believe this year was a success and not a failure.

I agree with this. Given where we came from it's okay to high, but tempered expectations. We're not championship caliber yet. Rick Sund said it himself. To paraphrase Sund, if we lost in the first round, he doesn't believe that automatically means we should destroy the team. Even during an interview on 680, he had reservations because players of Wade's caliber receive the close calls.

[HawkNJersey]

I really am not concerned about MIA.

I'm not buying the hype. And I do not believe Wade can beat us by himself.

I would not be surprised, if we sweep.

[gsuteke]

I agree with this. Given where we came from it's okay to high, but tempered expectations. We're not championship caliber yet. Rick Sund said it himself. To paraphrase Sund, if we lost in the first round, he doesn't believe that automatically means we should destroy the team. Even during an interview on 680, he had reservations because players of Wade's caliber receive the close calls.

No matter what happens next week there's no way in hell if you're Sund you move any of the starters except possibly, and I stress the term possibly, Bibby.

[jerrywest]

i can see Wade getting a disputed call to win a game with 5 seconds left before I could Joe. However, I can see Joe going to the basket, getting hacked in the same scenario, and not getting the call. And that, my friends, is an unsettling propostion.

LeBron did this to us recently.

We have a tendancy of keeping games close, even against bad teams. Wade will have his final minutes against us in almost every game, home or away. I don't think we will blow them away in any game. We need to win 4 close games. Stopping Wade 4 times will be difficult.

[khaos7]

I really am not concerned about MIA.

I'm not buying the hype. And I do not believe Wade can beat us by himself.

I would not be surprised, if we sweep.

I hope you're right. However, no one expected the "lowly" Hawks to push Boston to seven or Golden State to do what it did a year before. And neither one of those teams had a player like Wade that the refs protect at all cost. Also, refs aside, remember 2003-04 playoffs when Wade pushed Indiana as a rookie. Nobody expected the Heat to compete with Indy. Look at him now. I believe Wade has the ability to play at a crazy level and take his teammates to a higher level (thus the 7 assist per game).

Don't write them or the zebras off.

[crimedog]

Give Wade a little bit of credit. What you believe about the refs or not, Wade will easily be the most talented player on the floor during our series.

What I worry about is him hitting his J with a lot of frequency and dropping ~50 in Atlanta because we can afford to lose in Miami but not at home. I also worry about the way Beas has turned it on lately because if he can be Wade's 20-10 counterpart in this series, we could be in trouble, I think Smith will do a good job on Beas though and I'm not sure Beas can handle Smith yet.

[frosgrim]

I'm concerned about Wade. But I am more concerned about the Hawks taking the first round for granted. They have to come out with intensity, focus and energy in the first quarter of game 1. No more of this get down by 20 and claw back into the game.

Thus, even though Wade is going to get his, and he'll get his share of stupid calls, its the Hawks themselves that worry me more.

Will Josh Smith stay focused?

Will JJ go into a prolonged shooting slump?

Can Bibby get hot for the series or even 4 of the 7 games?

What is going on with Marvin?

Can Horford take control of the paint?

Can Woodson make adjustments on the fly?

I would love to see the Hawks come out and play a 2-3 zone vs. the Heat until Miami shows they can hit the 3 with consistency. Until then, sink back in a zone and make Wade take bad shot after bad shot.

That all said, the Hawks should win this series in 6.

[JackB1]

I'm concerned about Wade. But I am more concerned about the Hawks taking the first round for granted. They have to come out with intensity, focus and energy in the first quarter of game 1. No more of this get down by 20 and claw back into the game.

Thus, even though Wade is going to get his, and he'll get his share of stupid calls, its the Hawks themselves that worry me more.

Will Josh Smith stay focused?

Will JJ go into a prolonged shooting slump?

Can Bibby get hot for the series or even 4 of the 7 games?

What is going on with Marvin?

Can Horford take control of the paint?

Can Woodson make adjustments on the fly?

I would love to see the Hawks come out and play a 2-3 zone vs. the Heat until Miami shows they can hit the 3 with consistency. Until then, sink back in a zone and make Wade take bad shot after bad shot.

That all said, the Hawks should win this series in 6.

Your concern is warranted and I share your feelings. Our beloved Hawks can be so unpredictable, it's tough to figure out which team will show up. If we are clicking like we did against the Pacers the other night, Miami has no chance. But if Joe has some of his 8-25s night and Josh is heaving 3's and Bibby's 3ball is off, then we are in for a long series. I feel a big advantage we have this year is Flip. Flip is the X-Factor and can bail us out when Joe or Bibby are off. If all 3 are on, watch out...blowout time. If Al can get 15/10 a game, we should also win easily. But....this team lives or dies by the shooting of our guards. It will continue to be that way in the post season. The games will come down to Joe and Bibby. Will they light it up? I sure hope so!

GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!

[exodus]

Your concern is warranted and I share your feelings. Our beloved Hawks can be so unpredictable, it's tough to figure out which team will show up. If we are clicking like we did against the Pacers the other night, Miami has no chance. But if Joe has some of his 8-25s night and Josh is heaving 3's and Bibby's 3ball is off, then we are in for a long series. I feel a big advantage we have this year is Flip. Flip is the X-Factor and can bail us out when Joe or Bibby are off. If all 3 are on, watch out...blowout time. If Al can get 15/10 a game, we should also win easily. But....this team lives or dies by the shooting of our guards. It will continue to be that way in the post season. The games will come down to Joe and Bibby. Will they light it up? I sure hope so!

GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!

The reason I am not worried is that this isn't one game it is a 7 game series. Over a 7 game series the better team almost always wins unless they are at a disadvatage in terms of the matchups. Not only are the Hawks better than the Heat but the Heat don't match up well with the Hawks.

[HawkNJersey]

The reason I am not worried is that this isn't one game it is a 7 game series. Over a 7 game series the better team almost always wins unless they are at a disadvatage in terms of the matchups. Not only are the Hawks better than the Heat but the Heat don't match up well with the Hawks.

Damn good post.

Lets talk about reality here. Quit overrating the Heat players and look at the match ups. The only position they have a better player at, is SG and it not that great of a difference, that it can overcome the other shortfalls.

[Hawk88]

The point of this series is pretty mute knowing that whoever wins takes on Cleveland and nobody is keeping Cleveland from the conference finals. I wish the Hawks had lost more games to come in at seeds 6,7 or 8. The 4-5 slot is a bad slot this year.

Hawk88

[coachx]

The point of this series is pretty mute knowing that whoever wins takes on Cleveland and nobody is keeping Cleveland from the conference finals. I wish the Hawks had lost more games to come in at seeds 6,7 or 8. The 4-5 slot is a bad slot this year.

Hawk88

Why do you want the 6, 7, or 8 seed ? That would mean we would have to play the Magic, Celtics, or Cavs in the 1st round.

I fail to see your logic. The 4th seed rocks !