If the Hawks can't defend consistently...

[ATL_BALLER]

...why again does management believe in this core? Again, I am beyond tired of hearing the same post game rhetoric:

"We need to..."

"We should have..."

"We have to..."

At what point does that turn into real action? How many chances does one group get with zero accountability? It is mind-boggling to me.

[Vol4ever]

...why again does management believe in this core? Again, I am beyond tired of hearing the same post game rhetoric:

"We need to..."

"We should have..."

"We have to..."

At what point does that turn into real action? How many chances does one group get with zero accountability? It is mind-boggling to me.

Management doesnt have a clue. They are not going to take any action that invovles a dollar. The ASG does not have the money to compete at a high level and throw in their obviois management inability and there you go, you have a good regular season team but a playoff bust.

[Admin]

I know it sucks that the Hawks are 15 - 26 at this point in the season :no-no:... whoops we're 26 - 15 and right there among the Eastern Conference "elite" even with missing JJ for nearly 10 games and having him playing injured for most of the season thus far and with missing Marvin for multiple stretches now and even playing some games without a SF on the roster.

I get what you're saying about the team needing to defend consistently but unless Teague makes a dramatic improvement that's going to be tough since there probably isn't a big upgrade available at PG that won't hurt us offensively just as much as he helps us defensively. And until we fix the defensive limitations that we have at PG our defense will never be good or consistent because when we play teams with PGs that can abuse Bibby with their penetrating ability it causes us to help too much and that in turn leaves other guys open.

IMO the best that we can hope for right now is either a miracle trade (doubtful) or that we continue to play at this level defensively and that come playoff time our offense has improved enough to be a consistent threat against good defenses.

[CWebb]

I'll try to explain my point. We all know this team isn't the best in the league, no doubt about that. We clearly lack the depth of the elite teams.

But again... we are way better than 2/3 of the league. I've been an hawk fan for a few years now. I used to be a King fan back in the days of Webber, Bibby, Jackson etc.. I'm sick and tired of all the complaints, it's always the same sh**.

"Joe can't play" " Josh is so dumb" " We can't beat bad teams" "we can't beat good teams" " we ca'nt defend" " we lack effort" " we ain't though enough" "we can't score" " Joe's not a superstar" " we are not tall enough" " We asuck at PG, SF, and center" " we have no post game"

Let me tell you something. I live in paris and quite frustrated cause I don't have any chance to attend the games. But I watch every single game live. ( Remember: 7pm in Atlanta=1 AM in Paris...). I don't understand what you all want... We are a playoff team. We have an opportunity to make a run in the pleyoff and surprise everybody. We are a good team, you have to believe. C'mon, we are a 65% right now ! What would you say if we sucked like Toronto ? We have a chance. Again we are not the best team but we ll be better with better fans... Sactown was great for that.

[Wretch]

I've been an hawk fan for a few years now.

You've missed alot then. But if you can, try to imagine the 2nd round beatings this team has endured and spread them over the past 25 years or so.

I'm sitting here trying to add a simple response...but so much comes zooming through my fingers. And there's probably more that I've missed...for me at least, it's about more than just THIS particular team.

A botched playoff guarantee

Botched drafts

Isiaiah Rider

Botched trades that dealt away our draft picks

Trading our lone superstar

A terrible pick, in possibly the worst draft ever, that broke his neck

A failed tanking attempt that cost us dearly

Monotonous, laughable, isolation offense

The worst sweep in NBA History

A damn near failed attempt to sign our biggest free agent

A ridiculous court battle

A ridiculous search for an owner, which resulted in another ridiculous court battle.

No respect from the media

No interest in playing for this city by players

...and a team that hasn't been out of the 2nd round in 40 years. I won't speak for anyone else, else I be accused of being a terrorist (lol), but the things you mentioned in your post are the cherries on that multilayred cake I just put up. The team needs more than some tuning up. It is in dire need of a culture change. It's not the responsibility of us 1000 or so Hawks fans scattered around the country. It certainly doesn't fall on the city who has had even more letdowns by the Braves and Falcons (pfft, lol glad I don't watch football right now). It's on the ownership to change their image from meddling, penny penching, incompetent clowns to that of a winner. Because as long as I've been a fan, this franchise has had 2 out of 3 of those qualities.

Wake the city when ATL reaches the ECFs.

[Wretch]

The problem is...cutting all the layers away....we need to get better. We've been at this point before and it's the closest we've ever been (except for the Bird/Nique duel). Seems to me like management is content to stay right here. Just like every other year. You don't see the same sense of urgency prompting other teams to take action. Even the coach called out the front office - unless you're at the top, then you keep trying to get better or you get left behind. The front office just doesn't seem to get it.

Edited January 17, 2011 by Wretch

[Popeye]

Speaking of defens, josh smith has to be the 2nd worst defender on this team.... after Bibby of course.....I am not even playing around, the guy gets lit up by scrubs on nightly basis.....