Hawks Season Preview

[T21]

Name of external link

Everyone is predicting that we'll drop out of East's Fab-Four!

I understand that we had a quiet off-season while others made a splash... but I'm fine with it... Even with all the landscape changes in the East, there are just two teams stronger than us (on paper) - Miami and Orlando...

But basketball is played on hardwood, not in the virtual fantasy world... and I surely expect us to improve, both individualy and as a team... I'm not gonna judge our season by W totals, but by the way we play and how far we advance in the Playoffs...

P.S. BTW I'm sure we'll win at least 50 again!

[capstone21]

Name of external link

Everyone is predicting that we'll drop out of East's Fab-Four!

I understand that we had a quiet off-season while others made a splash... but I'm fine with it... Even with all the landscape changes in the East, there are just two teams stronger than us (on paper) - Miami and Orlando...

But basketball is played on hardwood, not in the virtual fantasy world... and I surely expect us to improve, both individualy and as a team... I'm not gonna judge our season by W totals, but by the way we play and how far we advance in the Playoffs...

P.S. BTW I'm sure we'll win at least 50 again!

The Bucks are strong and its unknown what the Bulls will do with the Boozer pickup. We are a strong team and I believe that our success will all depend on Drew's new system and on Teague's improvement.

[tremor]

The Bucks are strong and its unknown what the Bulls will do with the Boozer pickup.

With those teams being stronger there won't be Fab-Four in the East anymore, but six team competing for 1-6 PO spots (or five teams battling for 2-6 if you will) and several next competing for last 2 spots - Bobcats, Knicks, Wizards, maybe 76ers. I believe that Hawks will take either 4th or 5th spot but they are always rated lower that their actual potential by so called experts.

[niremetal]

The Bucks are strong

Why do people keep saying this? They added Redd (basically, since he was hurt all last year), CDR, Maggette. Too bad none of those guys are better than middle-of-the-pack as starters and all of them play either SG or SF (where they already had Salmons). They are the Wizards of 2010. They loaded up on average wings but did nothing else of significance. They still lack frontcourt depth and their depth is now worse at PG than it was before the playoffs.

The Bulls I'll give you, but the Bucks? Nope.

Edited September 19, 2010 by niremetal

[bonethugz]

Why do people keep saying this? They added Redd (basically, since he was hurt all last year), CDR, Maggette. Too bad none of those guys are better than middle-of-the-pack as starters and all of them play either SG or SF (where they already had Salmons). They are the Wizards of 2010. They loaded up on average wings but did nothing else of significance. They still lack frontcourt depth and their depth is now worse at PG than it was before the playoffs.

The Bulls I'll give you, but the Bucks? Nope.

they have a 7 footer who can score and a scoring guard that had a great rookie season last year. not strong? maybe not but they sure one of the playoff team in the east

[niremetal]

they have a 7 footer who can score and a scoring guard that had a great rookie season last year. not strong? maybe not but they sure one of the playoff team in the east

I guess I was projecting there. The Bucks are, indeed, strong - at least if by "strong" you mean "likely to make the playoffs and a threat to pull off a first round upset." I won't dispute that. What I dispute is the notion that I keep reading that they somehow have leapfrogged the Hawks in the East pecking order.

[Diesel]

Why do people keep saying this? T

The reason people keep saying that the Bucks are going to be strong is because they have three things thats hard to come by:

1. Good C.

2. Good PG.

3. Good Coach.

The Bucks almost beat us last year without Bogut. If Bogut comes back healthy, they are strong.

The two big ifs for Milwaukee are these:

Bogut comes back in good basketball form.

Jennings learns and becomes a better floor general.

Both of these ifs are very possible. Couple that with:

Signing of Salmons.

Signing of Maggette.

Comeback of Redd.

Drafting the Stud Larry Sanders.

These guys are not the marquee names but they are built right and they have very good players at every position. They could surprise a lot of people.

[Nicholasp27]

miami

orlando

atlanta/boston

bulls/bucks

the rest

[bonethugz]

I guess I was projecting there. The Bucks are, indeed, strong - at least if by "strong" you mean "likely to make the playoffs and a threat to pull off a first round upset." I won't dispute that. What I dispute is the notion that I keep reading that they somehow have leapfrogged the Hawks in the East pecking order.

i think we're thinking the same thing, just saying it differently. i always consider making the playoff is a success in most case

[coachx]

Why do people keep saying this? They added Redd (basically, since he was hurt all last year), CDR, Maggette. Too bad none of those guys are better than middle-of-the-pack as starters and all of them play either SG or SF (where they already had Salmons). They are the Wizards of 2010. They loaded up on average wings but did nothing else of significance. They still lack frontcourt depth and their depth is now worse at PG than it was before the playoffs.

The Bulls I'll give you, but the Bucks? Nope.

They almost beat the Hawks in a 7 game series without Bogut. Jennings should only get better and his improvement should over shadow the loss of Ridnour.

With a 7 footer like Bogut, in a 7 game series, it makes them all the better.

1 Think about that Skiles lead Bucks team. They play really hard and win many games on effort alone.

[niremetal]

They almost beat the Hawks in a 7 game series without Bogut...

...and playing a Hawks team with the worst coach in the history of creation, who needed 5 games to figure out "gee, maybe I shouldn't keep mechanically employing a defense that forces Josh and Zaza to guard Jennings on the perimeter."

Edited September 20, 2010 by niremetal

[frosgrim]

...and playing a Hawks team with the worst coach in the history of creation, who needed 5 games to figure out "gee, maybe I shouldn't keep mechanically employing a defense that forces Josh and Zaza to guard Jennings on the perimeter."

+1

That Bucks team looked good against an uninterested and disrupted Hawks team. Woodson had completely lost the team, and the players didn't trust each other. The Bucks will be good this up coming year, but I don't think they've over taken the Hawks.

My take on the teams that were around the Hawks last year and potentially this year:

This is probably the year Boston's age really catches up with them. They may win fewer games because they have to rest their aging core.

Chicago is going to be interesting to see how they play. But don't they essentially take Cleveland's spot in the playoffs by being the best bet to be the winners of the central?

In all i don't really see the Hawks moving out of the 4 or 5 spot in the playoffs.

[Nicholasp27]

we'll have 3rd best record but 4th seed because of seeding rules

[BudBall]

prove these 'experts' wrong hawks