Facing Philly at a Crossroads: An Un-sarcastic Look Ahead

[LucastheThird]

Came across this article while searching for relative Hawks news. I don't know the writer or if he normally is a Hawk basher; but this was a good read. Here's the link:

http://www.hoopinion...ssroads-un.html

[PureGreatness]

Damn Buddy Grizzard, tell me how you really feel about Sekou Smith. I smell beef. Good read tho and he is right about EVERYTHING.

Edited February 4, 2012 by PureGreatness

[Admin]

If you go to John Hollinger's player statistics and click on PER at the top of the highlighted column, you will see players listed in reverse order. Unsurprisingly, Hollinger has Collins listed second from the bottom in Player Efficiency Rating among all active NBA players averaging at least 6 minutes per game. I'm not here to argue the validity of Hollinger's PER rankings. What's inarguable is that for the second year in a row, Larry Drew is giving significant minutes to a player who is in the conversation as possibly the worst player in the league.

Say what? JC is averaging 10 minutes per game and only 3 times this season has he played more than 15 minutes in a game. And wow what a shock that JC has a low PER, this is nothing new! The things that Collins does well don't show up in stats like that and never have. Now does this mean that I think that Collins should be getting big minutes at C? Absolutely not, but damn what choice did LD have when all he had as far as centers go on the bench are JC and Zaza and he's got to fill that position for 48 minutes.

The silver lining is that the Hawks will face the 76ers tonight without the slow-footed Collins. Ivan Johnson played credible defense on Gasol and matched his production in 6 fewer minutes (although he needed three more shots). He is still making rookie mistakes but I predict that Friday you will see him guard Dwight Howard man-to-man and not embarrass himself. He's that strong, which makes up for what he lacks in height. He's already a better NBA center than Kendrick Perkins.

I LOVE me some Ivan Johnson but already a better center than Kendrick Perkins? He may be putting up better numbers than KP this year but Perkins has been a difference maker at C defensively for nearly a decade now and has done it on a championship team. (As I post this Ivan comes in for Zaza and puts up big 1st half numbers!)

I think Smith is a better player than Carmelo, despite not being near the offensive talent, because he is an outstanding team basketball player (note the assist total mentioned above) and because he impacts the game at the defensive end like no other player on the planet. Where Josh goes wrong is in trying to do too much, as when he refuses to give the ball up to Teague on the fast break. Josh has the ball handling ability to take it coast-to-coast or set up a teammate with a pinpoint pass, but he's also shown the frequent capacity to throw the ball away. Is Larry Drew the coach who can flip that switch?

Oh man here we go... Josh Smith is a better player than Carmelo? Is there ANYONE here who thinks that we could get what the Knicks gave up to get Carmelo for Josh Smith? Hell no we couldn't! I love Josh and think he's a very under appreciated player around the league but there's a reason why Denver was able to get a ton back in return for Carmelo, because he's a top 5-10 player and most importantly does it consistently!

As to all of the hatred for Sekou, I really don't get it but there must be some behind the scenes beef going on because Sekous is a well respected writer and normally I agree with Bret Lagree with what he writes and to me this seems pretty immature.