Do we even care about the actual games next season?

[Watchman]

If we don't get Howard before the season I want us to tankity tank tank tank it up. We need a high lottery pick to help replace the talent pool. It also would help entice a superstar to come here.

Losing entices superstars. i did not know that.

[EazyRoc]

At my age, you don't even by green bananas.

Haha! That was hilarious.

[MrMeltdown]

I am Hawks fans more than a Dwight or Paul fan so yes I care a lot about the games next year.

[Sothron]

Losing entices superstars. i did not know that.

It does when you do it the right way. The Hawks have both Horford and Josh plus gobs of cap space to start. You add a lottery pick in the mix and suddenly if you are a superstar you see a roster that already has several holes filled.

[buckeye242424]

I loved having Joe here, I think he did all he could to revitalize this team. The NBA season is a long one, and I've watched 95% of the regular season games as long as I can remember, and I appreciate the solid regular season's we've had recently. I just feel better when the Hawks win. That being said, I'm excited for next season even though I don't think we'll be very good. I haven't really "soaked in" all the new blood coming in, but I think we could be a 6,7,8 seed. I'm hoping for that anyway. Point being, I've enjoyed our guys the last half decade, but change was needed. They did all they could and would have done, and it was time to close the chapter on that group and start an new one. Yeah, 2012-13 means a lot to me just like every other season the Hawks play, I'll be watching.

[Buzzard]

It does when you do it the right way. The Hawks have both Horford and Josh plus gobs of cap space to start. You add a lottery pick in the mix and suddenly if you are a superstar you see a roster that already has several holes filled.

I am not going to say we cannot get Howard. But acting like it is a fore gone conclusion is foolish. We are not the Lakers, Heat, or Knicks when it comes to a fan base or a marketing base. Much less a championship base. Put it to you this way, there are more reasons for Howard not to come here than there are to come here. Which is why JJ is the only decent all-star caliber FA to come here in close to 3 decades!

[benhillboy]

It's high time we had a candidate for Most Improved Player. Teague has had time to watch and a full year to start and what, 17 playoff games? It comes a time where s@&t just has to slow down for him on the floor, because clearly everything still moves fast to him. I'm hoping by January, we can see a consistent game emerging from him with a nice mix of the explosive with facilitation and just a heightened sense of awareness. The board seems split on how good he is and what he can/ should be. I'm on the fence, but the flashes he has shown give me hope no doubt. What other PG could sprint across the floor at the end of the shot clock and block David West's jumpshot 10 rows back or dunk ferociously on Doc's "no slam dunks!" Celtics. Coach Drew was okay last season, but still much room for improvement. Those are the two clearly on the strictest evaluation scale of Ferry.

[jy23]

I am not going to say we cannot get Howard. But acting like it is a fore gone conclusion is foolish. We are not the Lakers, Heat, or Knicks when it comes to a fan base or a marketing base. Much less a championship base. Put it to you this way, there are more reasons for Howard not to come here than there are to come here. Which is why JJ is the only decent all-star caliber FA to come here in close to 3 decades!

The heat weren't just this mighty franchise either before the big 3 came along.

[Buzzard]

The heat weren't just this mighty franchise either before the big 3 came along.

Pat Riley anyone? You are also forgetting Wade/Shaq and the Alonzo Mourning days. Miami is a much better market, a better run franchise, not to mention what millionaire would not want to live near South Beach in the winter time? Edited July 6, 2012 by Buzzard

[Admin]

Pat Riley anyone? You are also forgetting Wade/Shaq and the Alonzo Mourning days. Miami is a much better market, a better run franchise, not to mention what millionaire would not want to live near South Beach in the winter time?

Trust me when I say that Miami isn't a better market as I've seen years and years of FAs spurn playing in Miami. South Beach is a nice attraction but it doesn't draw FA's and the fans in Miami are probably even more apathetic than the ones in Atlanta.

[Buzzard]

Trust me when I say that Miami isn't a better market as I've seen years and years of FAs spurn playing in Miami. South Beach is a nice attraction but it doesn't draw FA's and the fans in Miami are probably even more apathetic than the ones in Atlanta.

When I say market, I don't mean local. And Pat Riley is a force in the NBA and internationally. I live in Cincinnati, bet you more non NBA fans here have heard of Pat Riley than everyone combined in the Hawks organization.

[Sothron]

I am not going to say we cannot get Howard. But acting like it is a fore gone conclusion is foolish. We are not the Lakers, Heat, or Knicks when it comes to a fan base or a marketing base. Much less a championship base. Put it to you this way, there are more reasons for Howard not to come here than there are to come here. Which is why JJ is the only decent all-star caliber FA to come here in close to 3 decades!

Wait a second there. I never said it was a foregone conclusion we'd land anyone. All I did was respond to that statement. I well know Atlanta's problems with signing big name stars.

[jy23]

Pat Riley anyone? You are also forgetting Wade/Shaq and the Alonzo Mourning days. Miami is a much better market, a better run franchise, not to mention what millionaire would not want to live near South Beach in the winter time?

Wade they drafted and shaq they traded for....everyone else that came to the team came bc of shaq being there n it wasn't like Riley was really bringing in the big guys before the big 3. Once shaq left do u not remember that they were worse than we were. Those guys were friends and just put a plan together to play wit each other, I don't think it really mattered that it was Miami

[Admin]

When I say market, I don't mean local. And Pat Riley is a force in the NBA and internationally. I live in Cincinnati, bet you more non NBA fans here have heard of Pat Riley than everyone combined in the Hawks organization.

That very well may be true.

[Deeman]

I would never want my team to tank before the season even started. If there was a once in a generation type player like Lebron then I wouldn't mind.

[Wretch]

I would never want my team to tank before the season even started. If there was a once in a generation type player like Lebron then I wouldn't mind.

I don't think I want them to tank before the first tip. I think at this point, it just doesn't matter to me either way - unless we somehow manage to sign Dwight Howard. If we don't, then it doesn't matter right now. BUT... If by late December, this team is behind a couple of teams for the final playoff spot...I think Josh Smith should have some kind of surgery to repair something he messed up in practice. And Horford should miss some extended time with a groin pull.

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

I'd like us to be competitive because I believe we need to show Dwight that there is a team here that is competitive and he wouldn't be walking into a situation where he has to perform every game for the Hawks to win. Dwight isn't going to come to a lottery team... He wants to go somewhere that he feels he could win a title. IDK if him being from Atlanta has any barring on whether or not he is interested in being apart of the Hawks. Deron chose Brooklyn over his hometown, but Carmelo wanted to play for his hometown Knicks at all costs. We need to have our ppg around 95 minimum (maximum) for offense (defense). We also need to keep up the tempo on offense and the intensity on defense. I'd like us to get above .500 and be a 6-8 seed. I'd also like us make a series out of that first round match-up. If we can do this and show Dwight/CP3 that we are a competitive team that just needs that guy to put us over the top, I believe that at a minimum, they would have to consider us, especially with all of the cap space that will be available.The goal isn't to take three steps back to get a lottery talent (which drafts are not going to be great for the next few years), it's to take a step back so that we can keep moving forward. Keep our eyes on the prize...

[Peoriabird]

I am so looking forward to watching a real offense as oppose to the stand and watch ISO offense of the last 6 years. I am one of the few happy to see Johnson gone. Hated his version of hero ball. We may not be as good defensively as constructed now but we will certainly be much better offensively. Heck we might be o.k. defensively if we start Zaza, Horford and Smith up front.