Just noticed something about the squawk.

[Supporter]

Funny thing is, I'm okay with criticism - factual criticism. The board in general tends to lean toward hyperbole and exaggeration.

So then tell me...which criticism is a hyperbole: josh should not be shooting jumpers, he should not be camped out of the paint considering that he is our best finisher and rebounder, he should not be running fast breaks, he should not be jawing at refs, etc...All of those criticisms seem fair to me, and the amount of hate he gets should be no surprise considering that he's our " best player "

[Diesel]

I think you need to make a designation between our best player and our most impactful player. I think we can win or lose based on how Josh plays. If he plays us up, we can win, if he makes big mistakes we can lose. He's the most impactful player we have. I say that because nobody else on the team has that much control over wins and losses.Does that mean that Josh is our best player? Not exactly. The best player is the guy who the opponents see and says.. hey, we got to stop that guy. So far, that guy is Joe. 6'7" 240. He has the ability to post up most guys his position. He has a finishing move (Goat Float). He can play both inside and outside. He plays above average defense. He can handle the ball. Josh has a lot of great traits. Almost allstar/superstar level traits. But it's his maturity and decision making that is his downfall. IF not for these things, he'd be the best player on our team. He's easily goaded into stuff he shouldn't be goaded into.I betcha, during warmups, the opponents come over to Josh and this is the conversation:Pierce: Yeah man, we're going to win this easy.KG: Easy, we're going to blow these guys out.Pierce: Well, maybe we should take them a little more serious.KG: Why? They don't have nothing.Pierce: They have the guy who believes he should have been an allstar.KG: That dude? He can't do s---.Pierce: Watch out, he just might light you up from outside.KG: If he lit me up from outside, I would walk naked from the arena to the harbor with a porkchop around my neck.Smoove (to himself): I will show them, tonight, I'm going for 40... from outside.And you know what they do, they back up and give Josh the shot. IF he makes one they're extremely happy. They know that him making one will lead to 7 more attempts.The thing is it wrecks whatever gameplan the coach puts in place.I like it better when Josh misses his first 4... I think somewhere along the way, he realizes that it won't work so he goes inside where his efficiency is much much better.

[Joker]

I don't hate Marvin and I don't love Zaza.

[NineOhTheRino]

Horford is a good player but...I find his, "look at me, I'm the heart and soul of this team" act annoying.

[Diesel]

Horford is a good player but...I find his, "look at me, I'm the heart and soul of this team" act annoying.

I think he's a winner. I think it takes a lot to be a winner... like doing the little things. He brings that winners energy and that winners do the little thing example that we need. The last play of the last game is quit the example of that. Had it been Marvin, he would have let Rondo get by or he would have fouled or something. However, Horf, stayed on the little man tight and that is what gave us the win.Because we have the tendency to be an up or down team, we need that winners attitude and energy on the floor to keep us optimistic.Does that make him the heart of this team. I think so.I don't think he's our best player, but he definitely brings that element to this team just like Zaza brings the toughness.

[Mutombolievable]

I like Marvin.

[Joker]

The only player I really like on this team is Horford.I am okay with Marvin, Joe, Zaza, and Hinrich.I understand Josh, not a fan but I respect his game and his value to the team.Jeff is cool in the right role. In the wrong role is where he gets me angry.I could careless about the scrubs.

Horford is a good player but...I find his, "look at me, I'm the heart and soul of this team" act annoying.

I do think Horford is overrated as a leader but underrated as a player.

[NineOhTheRino]

The only player I really like on this team is Horford.I am okay with Marvin, Joe, Zaza, and Hinrich.I understand Josh, not a fan but I respect his game and his value to the team.Jeff is cool in the right role. In the wrong role is where he gets me angry.I could careless about the scrubs.I do think Horford is overrated as a leader but underrated as a player.

I think the other players find his ra ra-cheerleader bs annoying as well . But on the positive side at least he doesn't have a cardboard cutout personality like Joe. Only time Joe's facial expression changes is when he spots a dime piece sitting in the good seats. Edited May 10, 2012 by NineOhTheRino

[Guest]

I like all the guys, I am a Hawks fan before a player fan. I don't buy player specific jerseys. I get a Hawks jersey. Some players irritate me more that others based on their play from game to game. I don't care who we trade or who we keep as long as what we get in return is something to help us get to and win a championship.

[AHF]

Given how few people have self-identified as "haters" on this thread, I think the more interesting exercise would be for people to say what they thought their identity was and then how they were perceived by the rest of the Squawk. I have harped for years on Josh's perimeter game because I think he is our only player with true star potential but that he will never reach it until he stops shooting the jumpers and hanging out on the perimeter on offense (neutralizing his offensive rebounding ability). I don't think of myself as a Josh hater at all, but others might.

[benhillboy]

I'm a proud Joe Hater and yet have no problem pointing out the parts of his game I have big respect for (more than his fans even) whether it be his always solid defense against Kobe Bean (the hardest player to guard the past 10 years, damn Carmelo), excellent cross-court passing, beautiful stroke when he doesnt fade, etc. I don't care about Marvin, pretty indifferent to Teague and Josh, and I like Al a lot although I'm bummed that he could be considerably further along in his development without the numerous injuries he's sustained and many missed games. I wouldnt mind Zaza, Ivan, and Willie on my team in their roles at all. I don't like the Hawks as currently constructed, I watch too much other finely played ball around the association to. But I'll always love em, it that makes any sense. We all have that relative (or a few) we can't stand but of course have their back when they need it.

[Vol4ever]

I'm new here but I have noticed people are really negative here.....some people don't even seem like fans of the Hawks. I'm not anti-any of them. Yeah they might annoy me sometimes but I'm a fan of all of them.

A lot of falks have been Hawks fans, members here, and the older boards for many years. These folks are "negative" because they see the changes that need to be made, the effort some of the players should put forth, and the ineptness of the ownership/front office. They are frustraded, but not to worry they are died in the wool Hawks fans and always will be.

[HawkItus]

I like all the players. I don't have a favorite. What I do hate though is a player getting killed for doing what he is supposed to do. If a guy just fails at doing something I can accept. Especially when it is very visible why this player is failing. But, if you are doing things you are not asked or needed to do.........and you fail......well........I have no patience.

[AHawks89]

I don't fall into that category either; however, I back up Josh more than anyone else on this site because it's ridiculous seeing all these topics criticizing his game, when yet, he is having an outstanding year. Josh is the hated the most on this site, followed secondly by Joe. But I think you're right to a certain extent. If you love Al, you hate Josh. That's the only one I can actually see in the forums.My favorite is Josh because he's brings the most to the table, has the dunks/blocks to make the Phillips Arena go wild, from ATL, and wants to win. I love Al, Joe, Teague, & Zaza all the same. I don't hate anyone on this team, nor will I criticize them on the little negatives that is outweighed by their positives. One person I was getting tired of was Bibby's defense before he was traded, but never really complained about him either. Love my Hawks!

[BrazilianHawk]

I even got a Smoove jersey the year after he played within himself (that was the last Woody year and the best one for Josh).

Now I can't wait for his a$$ to be traded, because he wants (and can't) do to it all. You can call me a hater, but it's not really my fault. It's Josh's.

[benhillboy]

I even got a Smoove jersey the year after he played within himself (that was the last Woody year and the best one for Josh).

I know, right? Shooting 50% with anything outside of 20 feet off limits and blocking 3 shots a game is his optimum style of play and best chance to get the elusive All-Star selection he wants so damn bad. Being in tip-top shape doesnt hurt either. Edited May 10, 2012 by benhillboy

[Watchman]

For the record I don't "hate" anyone on the Hawks. I like Josh Smith when he plays within his limitations. I get frustrated when he doesn't. He has the potential to be extraordinary, but frequently takes away from the good things he does by momentum breaking things like shooting the long jumper at an inopportune time, bringing the ball up court and turning it over instead of letting the PG bring the ball up, etc. I think we have a team that has the potential for the starters all to average 12 to 18 ppg, and all to feel fulfilled in their roles. Does that mean no one has a 30 point game? No, it just means we are playing team ball instead of me ball. I'd be just as happy with Josh averaging 25/15 as 15/10, all I want is consistency and the ability to realize when your shot's not working for you, you do other things instead. Our team has no superstars, and no one on the team needs to consider themselves as such. We need a coach who can get the players to see the benefit of playing together instead of playing for yourself alone.The altar call will now proceed.

[lethalweapon3]

I always got love for (insert Hawk here). And, as part of that loving fandom, I abhor, chastise, and/or ridicule when he (insert stuff Hawk does bad/wrong, or doesn't do, persistently). This extends to the coaching staff as well. Embracing the roses while damning the thorns.I admit I had two players on a shortlist of players I "hated," if you will, and never wanted to see rocking Hawks gear. One was JaCo, or his twin brother, until he showed a pulse in last year's matchup with Dwightzilla. After that, I wanted him back for another run. The other was Willie Green, whom I had seen more than enough of as a waning Sixer fan. I've come completely around on Willie as well, although I do hope to wish him and JaCo "Happy Trails" once the season ends.As I often say when employing my "Jungle Fever" narrative, they're those crack-fiend relatives who can do just enough to keep you amused, hopeful, and forgiving them from smoking up your TV set...again...This always results in a wonderful "They can't say that about our pledges!" dichotomy. When an outsider, be it a muppet-mouthed media man or some snot-nosed blogger, tries to hate on players or the team or the fans or the city worse than die-hard 'Squawkers do, I take great pleasure in delivering a virtual People's Elbow to the lamebrains. Clueless firebombing from outsiders is verboten. But any heat generated from within the house keeps the place warm. So let venting 'Squawkers vent.The vitriol ratio is not that much different than our 13-69 yesteryears, and I've got no problem with that. Even after our nail-biter win the other day, the Squawkchat quickly turned to memories of the Yogi Stewarts, Peja Drobnjaks, Antoine Walkers, Royal Iveys, Tom Gugliottas, and Obinna Ekezies that used to keep us up tearing our hair out at night.It's all part of the fun to see if Giligan will ever really get off the island, if Charlie Brown ever kicks the field goal through the uprights, if the coyote will ever get a taste of BBQ'd roadrunner. As hopelessly flawed as these characters and the Hawks can be individually, we "hate" but we keep right on watching, at worst to confirm the rationales for our disgust/ridicule, at best to see if we can be, someday, happily proven wrong.~lw3