I think it is time to take a deep Breath and realize....

[DocWilkins]

We are what we are...We are a better than average team that with this current roster will never be great and without ownership that really wants us to get there....I am afraid it is just going to be more of the same.I have really struggled with this until last night's game. I guess I have just made peace with it. I am as die hard of a Hawks fan as I can be...Long time season ticket holder and will always be a true supporter. I just don't feel that our team has the brains and heart to get it done. I do believe there is some great talent on the floor but come playoff time...with Teague's turnover ratio and Josh chucking up three's we will again be a fairly quick exit. Not to mention that Joe120 disappears when we play the top echelon teams...Our half court offense is just plain awful. too many times we come down...stand around and finally getting something moving with 12 seconds on the clock. The fluid motion that Larry promised is just not there against good solid defensive teams. Sometimes it is just not there at all.I am not sure how most feel but I think this team has peaked and before I renew my tix next year there had better be some serious moves to improve this team...I want a title...Am I selfish for not wanting to be slightly above average??? I have been waiting for 35 years....I am hopeful my son will at least see a title...Only time will tell!someone help me off the ledge....

[macdaddy]

We have the same problem we've had for 6 years. The reason we can't win big games against elite teams is offense. Its not coaching, its not really defense (sometimes it is but that's true of all nba teams). There's a reason guys like Melo are considered superstars when they absolutely suck at defense. When you play teams who are exceptional defensively you need guys who can still score and we don't have enough of those guys. We have guys who can score against lesser defenses. We have good defense ourselves but you can't win games without scorers. No motion offense is going to fix that at the nba level.Sorry to not talk you off the ledge but that is where we are. Now if we completely lock down the defensive end we can hang with the elite teams but its hard to do that over and over again. To get you off the ledge though i'd say that Horford, Pargo, Rad not being available and Tmac being useless is a problem. Get some of those guys back and i think we can surprise some people.

[Supporter]

Amen brother, I have accepted this and as long as we have this "core" I will expect nothing different. Sure I am open to playoff surprises and a couple of good showings from our players come playoff time, but I am not expecting miracles. The sooner this franchise realizes that they are heading in the wrong direction the better. We need to get that one "IT" factor that makes us a contender. Until we get that, we are as you said "what we are".

[Buzzard]

The sooner this franchise realizes that they are heading in the wrong direction the better. We need to get that one "IT" factor that makes us a contender. Until we get that, we are as you said "what we are".

The problem is they may think they are headed in the right direction. To put it bluntly, the ASG could be more than satisfied with just getting into the playoffs every season so long as they can keep payroll near or below the luxury tax.

[DocWilkins]

The problem is they may think they are headed in the right direction. To put it bluntly, the ASG could be more than satisfied with just getting into the playoffs every season so long as they can keep payroll near or below the luxury tax.

Preach on brother...the bottom line is truly the bottom line with this ownership team...

[benhillboy]

I'm still riding high off of he best stretch of ball for Joe on a winning Hawks team. His performance last week was light years ahead of anything I thought he could do, so anything from him henceforth is a premium. As far as last nights game, there's nothing to take from it. The Bulls are head and shoulders above us, so I just lower my expectations and enjoy the competitive games against lesser teams. If all the stars aligned and we were 100% healthy, the ceiling would be maybe a win in the Conference Final. At our worst, we're an easy first round out. I'm guessing well fall somewhere between that, competitive 7 game first round series or blown out of the second round. It is what it is, has been, and always will be with the ASG and their foolish decisions.

Edited March 29, 2012 by benhillboy

[ATLSmith]

What we were: A loosing team.

What we are: A winning team.

What we could be: A championship team.

It is certainly worth supporting what we are while having have aspirations for what we could be.

Let's not go backwards and become what we were.

[Buzzard]

What we were: A loosing team.

What we are: A winning team.

What we could be: A championship team.

It is certainly worth supporting what we are while having have aspirations for what we could be.

Let's not go backwards and become what we were.

Standing still is going backward. The teams that are changing are moving either forward or backward. Simple logic tells you some will eventually pass us if we stand still.

[ATLSmith]

Standing still is going backward. The teams that are changing are moving either forward or backward. Simple logic tells you some will eventually pass us if we stand still.

Agreed. I wasn't implying that we should stand still.

[Peoriabird]

Every one thought that New York and New Jersey were headed in the right directions too but last I checked, they were beneath us.

[Buzzard]

Every one thought that New York and New Jersey were headed in the right directions too but last I checked, they were beneath us.

I did not think Deron by himself could carry NJ, and NY, well they are moving up while we are moving down. Last season we were the 3rd seed and now we are the 6th, two seasons ago NY did not make the playoffs and they are now looking to make two playoff appearances in a row.Just as Philly, Chicago, and Miami have passed us in the last four seasons, we stand still more will as well. People forget we were at a point not to long ago of handling the Heat and Bulls pretty well.

[Vol4ever]

Every one thought that New York and New Jersey were headed in the right directions too but last I checked, they were beneath us.

The Knicks screwed up when they got Melo. His is a cancer to any team. Melo has never won and wont with his attitude.The Hawks have stood still for 3 years and done nothing.Heck myself and others have been preaching the above statement for 3 years............i digress

[RebuildtheHawks]

We are not championship contenders, and probably can never be with LD, and ASG.

[KB21]

The Knicks screwed up when they got Melo. His is a cancer to any team. Melo has never won and wont with his attitude.The Hawks have stood still for 3 years and done nothing.Heck myself and others have been preaching the above statement for 3 years............i digress

But Melo is considered to be a superstar by those that only look at scoring totals. Melo is a master at taking, and missing shots. But he shoots in high volume, so everyone thinks he is a great scorer. I would take Joe Johnson over Carmelo Anthony. Carmelo averages 0.88 PPP this year, while Joe Johnson averages 0.97 PPP. Joe is clearly a better player when you take into account his defense. At one point this season, Joe was holding his opposition to 0.57 PPP in isolation situations. That's very good defense. It doesn't make him worth his contract, but this guy isn't just a shot hog that scores his points because he shoots a high volume of shots.

[ngc7]

all we need is one more piece . shouldnt be that dam hard to get it

[EazyRoc]

But Melo is considered to be a superstar by those that only look at scoring totals. Melo is a master at taking, and missing shots. But he shoots in high volume, so everyone thinks he is a great scorer. I would take Joe Johnson over Carmelo Anthony. Carmelo averages 0.88 PPP this year, while Joe Johnson averages 0.97 PPP. Joe is clearly a better player when you take into account his defense. At one point this season, Joe was holding his opposition to 0.57 PPP in isolation situations. That's very good defense. It doesn't make him worth his contract, but this guy isn't just a shot hog that scores his points because he shoots a high volume of shots.

Give me Carmelo. You replace Carmelo with Joe and we are a contender. Dont let the lack of chemistry fool you. He is a top 5 scorer in this league.

[EazyRoc]

I meant down year, not lack of chemistry.

[Diesel]

Here's my thought in the matter. It's true we need an offensive goto guy... preferably in the post.However, against Chicago... come on.Those guys were money from three and they bashed our heads in on the boards.It speaks directly to our weakness...We lack a big man that is an offensive force.Even when we have Horf, he's good for rebounds, but offensively, he doesn't play in the low post and he's not consistent enough to make low post scoring something other teams have to defend.Going forward I would like to see us acquire a guy like Kaman.We also need better coaching.Where is Mike Fratello? We're still the same team we were 6 yrs ago because we still have the same coach. I know Woody is gone, but it's hard for an Assistant to come in and have that much of a different voice than his head. Especially when he was the coordinator of the offense.Where we need better coaching is in discipline and toughness.

[macdaddy]

Here's my thought in the matter. It's true we need an offensive goto guy... preferably in the post.However, against Chicago... come on.Those guys were money from three and they bashed our heads in on the boards.It speaks directly to our weakness...We lack a big man that is an offensive force.Even when we have Horf, he's good for rebounds, but offensively, he doesn't play in the low post and he's not consistent enough to make low post scoring something other teams have to defend.Going forward I would like to see us acquire a guy like Kaman.We also need better coaching.Where is Mike Fratello? We're still the same team we were 6 yrs ago because we still have the same coach. I know Woody is gone, but it's hard for an Assistant to come in and have that much of a different voice than his head. Especially when he was the coordinator of the offense.Where we need better coaching is in discipline and toughness.

This is what i'm saying too. There's a reason the Lakers got Pau. There's a reason we look all world when Josh is getting touches and converting in the post. The problem is that Josh isn't good enough in the post to score on a defense like Chicago, and as you pointed out neither is Horf. I think LD is pretty good. I think a guy like Fratello would get more out of this team and they'd be a lot more disciplined and probably not get blown out as much. But in the end i think we'd exit the playoffs about the same with this crew. Its not that LD is the same as Woody its that we have the same players for six years. We've traded out a few spare parts but the engine is the same.

[Swatguy]

Here's my thought in the matter. It's true we need an offensive goto guy... preferably in the post.However, against Chicago... come on.Those guys were money from three and they bashed our heads in on the boards.It speaks directly to our weakness...We lack a big man that is an offensive force.Even when we have Horf, he's good for rebounds, but offensively, he doesn't play in the low post and he's not consistent enough to make low post scoring something other teams have to defend.Going forward I would like to see us acquire a guy like Kaman.We also need better coaching.Where is Mike Fratello? We're still the same team we were 6 yrs ago because we still have the same coach. I know Woody is gone, but it's hard for an Assistant to come in and have that much of a different voice than his head. Especially when he was the coordinator of the offense.Where we need better coaching is in discipline and toughness.

Riles and Phil were assistants.LD is doing a very good job.Sund brought in the best bench we have had.Injuries are our problem now.