Gotta Love ESPN

[RLHawk]

In there season preview of the Hawks, they act as if they have not even done a little homework. I don't necessarily expect them to watch every game, but someone in the research department should proofread this stuff.

----------------------ESPN-----------------------

Any guarantees?

Not after last year's promotion, which promised season ticket-holders a trip to the playoffs. (Of course, with so few fans, it couldn't have cost too much). With Big Dog gone, the team is left to the chronically wrong-place/wrong-time Shareef Abdur-Rahim, whose seven straight losing seasons is more than anyone else's in the NBA. True, Stephen Jackson and Lee Nailon give Jason Terry more passing options. But is it enough to end the Hawks' own run of four losing seasons? No. There's your guarantee.

THE STARTING FIVE

Pos. Name Stats Grade

PF Shareef Abdur-Rahim Keeper on a fantasy team (19.9 points, 8.4 rebounds in '02-'03). 7

SF Stephen Jackson Life will be quite a bit different without Tim Duncan. 7

C Theo Ratliff Decent bet: He gets injured or gets himself dealt. Or both. 7

SG Jason Terry Bright spot (17.2 points and career-high 7.4 assists per game) on lame team. 7

PG Dion Glover What? You were expecting Jacque Vaughn? 3

**SINCE WHEN WAS DION A PG**

Jackson's slashing style and ability to play the two and three will help, and not just because he'll keep Alan Henderson on the bench. He'll also keep the pace with Terry and Glover in coach Terry Stotts' new up-tempo offense.

THE BENCH

Players Grade

After Nailon, Henderson, Chris Crawford (He's back -- yeah, we didn't notice he was gone, either) and Vaughn are the core of a so-so CBA team. 2

**WHAT ABOUT NAZR**

Team grade:

33

Saving Grace

Got Finals starter Jackson for $2 mil, still $16 mil under cap.

**I DID NOT KNOW WE STILL HAD 16 MIL UNDER THE CAP...MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE SIGNED A FEW FAs**

[pathway23]

I feel ya man. Terry IS a D*** PG! How much do we have to tell ppl?

We are NOT under the cap until February, when Brandon officially retires, and his contract is taken over by insurance! Jackson was not as dependent on Duncan as one might think, particularly his work on the perimeter on defense! He certainly is a better defender than Dog, and this team should have no trouble scoring. I can't wait until we prove them wrong, after all, all we have to do is win as many games as we did last yr to prove them wrong, and I think we will win close to 40 at least and if the team has few injury problems and gels more than that!

[CBAreject]

So far, I've seen the following:

"The Hawks will have to take advantage of the nights when opponents are unprepared and won't have their legs because they have been out to the strip clubs the night before. That's probably going to be Atlanta's best defense: the strip club trap"

The Hawks are rated as the worst team in the Eastern Conference, should therefore finish dead last, and are the second worst in the NBA, next to the Jazz (they're not rated much worse).

ESPN doesn't know who's on our bench, particularly Nazr, Diaw.

Dion Glover is rated a 3 out of 10. A 3/10?

ESPN thinks Alan Henderson typically starts and plays the 2 or 3. (Why else would they say SJax' playing 2/3 will keep Henderson on the Bench?)

Chad Ford says we'll win 24 games or less.

Many say the fans have no hope.

The power poll says that the fact that our team considers losing Obinna Ekezie significant doesn't bode well.

They don't realize that it's only because he played phenomenally for a few games. We do have Henderson, Nazr, and Nailon, so it's not like he was counted on for a top 8 slot anyway.

They have no clue.