Where are the PUNDITS???

[Diesel]

Somebody go get Walter, Mr H. Online, Tmac, Playmaker ... whoever else that said that Big Dog was the problem and have them to start explaining?

Last night, we looked as bad or worst than we did all last season.

Where are all my JT fans.

JT does nothing as far as Leadership and PGing of this team. We'd do better to trade him for ANTOINE Walker and let him be the Point gaurd.

We see now..

Big Dog wasn't the major problem. Big Dog was a problem, however, put in the same spot, SJax did the same thing that Big Dog did... Try to get something going, turnover.

We need to be realistic about our ball handling. We have none. Or atleast none that can be counted on.

Maybe we can send JT to LAC for QRIch/1st and maybe we can get a PG to step in... Is Wilks available??

[Playmaker0017]

Diesel,

I say it again... Big Dog was a major problem.

I also said that Terry was awful -- before we resigned him. I would have rather waived him and stuck out a shoddy year. He is NOT a PG.

I also said that Jackson was going to be awful. I said he would turn it over more than Big Dog. At least Big Dog KNOWS he can't dribble. This guy thinks he is the second coming of MJ.

Jackson did two things that impressed me: Played decent defense and moved well without the ball. Those are two things Dog didn't do.

If Stotts can convice the guy to run around and try NOT to dribble much.... he'd be stellar for this team.

JT is a plug. Always has been. Always will be. He has no clue about leadership or controlling this team. He needs to learn about resetting things. About getting the ball into the offense. He just can't do it. Resigning him was an AWFUL move.

Play.

[phoostal]

I should have known all you Hawk fans that predict doom and gloom would be spouting off today. It's easy to say these things after loss.

Yes, it was disturbing that we had 27 turnovers. But, let us stick with the team and see the outcome for the year. Then after the year you can say I told you so and I know more than you speeches. Until then let us see how the season unfolds.

As far as this team having no heart or effort. That is a stupid comment. Because you have turnovers doesn't mean you have no heart and effort.

It was one game, a game we should have won, but didn't. The players were pumped up and very tight. Everyone wants to slam JT and Reef, but in the 4th qt they made some tough shots. Yes, they had turnovers but so did everyone.

For Christ sakes it's one game, get over it and move on. We play the Bulls. Let's plan on getting a W there. Besides if we polled most people they would have predict a loss for us last night.

There were some very nice things by the team last night. Let's build on it and work on making corrections to our mistakes. Instead of dwelling on the negatives.

Diesel, can you please get over it? G. Rob is gone. He is not on the team. Enough said. Just like DJ isn't on the team. Or no team for that matter.

Also, someone mentioned why we didn't sign D. Armstrong. We didn't have an owner and this prohibted us signing him. Living in Orlando I know D. Arm listed Atlanta as team he wanted to play for, but unfortunately we didn't have owners.

Just to cap off this message. Let's watch the season unfold. Make our comments each game, but the threads I have been reading suggest Armageddon. What the h$$$, it's one game. Let's move on.

P

[Playmaker0017]

Phoostal,

The reason people are responding this way is because it was "more of the same".

Our entire team standing around on offense.

JT NOT knowing how to initiate and control and direct an offense.

People playing out of control on offense.

The typical 3rd quarter meltdown. I don't know what the coach says at halftime, but he ought to change his speech.

Jackson turning the ball over like he thought it was the in-thing.

Going away from hot players and strategy. Dion was on last night. But he vanished during the game. Reef was not having a stellar night, but you can't ignore him for two quarters.

Play.

[OGRat]

No, one game does not define a season. But I will add that there is a lot of work to be done here.

The SG should not have more TOs than the PG. This confuses me.

Why the [censored] did Lynch have a double double?

Why is SJax shooting 10 3ptrs?

Why did Hornets have 21 OBds?

Was this the game plan?

[Brutus]

How many years are the hawks going to pretend he is?..JT is a tweener that would be best suited to instant offense off the bench. WE might be a better team with JV at point and JT coming off the bench ala Vinnie Johnson. Because of JT's lack of ability to run the team it causes us to put the ball in the hands of players which should not be expected to handle to ball so much..Which leads to more turnovers..Its a never ending cycle all starting with the hawks infatuation that JT can run the team..He can not!

[Diesel]

True..

However, if Big Dog was the reason for our play last year... Why is it that since preseason and NOW, we are the exact same team as last year... With him gone?

I agree entirely with Jay Walker's article today.

If Big Dog was 'the major problem" Why haven't our offense become any better?? You would expect to see some baby steps. There's still no movement. No passing. No structure.

Please... Talk.

[Diesel]

I agree 100%.

The problem is that everybody defends JT because he can score... Well, hello. What good is JT scoring 18 if we miss out on 30 more points because our offense is out of Sync.

I never considered JT as points off the bench, however, it's an interesting idea. Really, I would love to trade for a good pure PG who can play some defense instead of going to JV... Or if we go with JV, having a SG who can actually Shoot on the floor... although, Glover, Jackson wasn't that bad last night.

I say it's worth a try for about 5 games. It's early in the season...

Let JV start... Bring JT off the bench.

Because Last night, all JT did was fall back into the same old shoes and did the same old thing.

[phoostal]

Diesel,

All I can say right now, is it's only been one game. We have 81 to go. Let's see how the season goes. If the same thing is taking place in game 30 I would start questioning coaching and the players. But, let us see how it plays out, before we call for everyones heads or say they stink.

By the way I never bashed Dog. I really didn't care what happen with him. I was fine if he stayed or left. So I'm not a dog basher. I'm just tired of bringing up players we use to have or should. We have what we have. Let's make the best of it.

One thing I noticed last night, which no one has mentioned. Was how the team was poorly spaced last night. Everyone is quick to blame JT. But, look at the game he was running into his own teammates or their defenders. That isn't necessarily his fault.

For instance, on the last play in the 4th Dion almost ran into JT and then Reef brought his guy over. The next thing you know he didn't have a shot. I wouldn't blame JT for that. I thing the whole team needs to understand the offense. It is easy to blame just one player in JT or Reef, but let's look a little deeper. It doesn't seem people on this board do that.

Like someone mentioned earlier, everyone hates on Reef now. He had a bad night shooting against one the most physical teams in the paint. Yet, look what else he did 16 boards, 2 assists, 1 block and 1 turnover. He didn't let his offensive struggles take him out of other parts of his game. But, he has no heart. That is should an ignorant statement. Watch the game.

P

[Playmaker0017]

Diesel,

The reason we still have no motion and movement and strategy is coaching and JT.

Big Dog and Jackson are the same player, in my opinion. Poor handlers. One has defense, the other has offense. So, to me, it was a wash. Except now... we have a SF who thinks he has something to prove and believes he can handle the ball.

Jackson though can move without the ball MUCH better than Dog. So, I prefer Jackson... but he was not a first pick for me. I think we missed our opportunity to shine with Odom.

Stotts changed NOTHING. We still have NO strategy. No motion without the ball.

Reef is the biggest culprit of that... but it stems from coaching.

Play.

[Diesel]

I think that last night shows that nothing has changed. 81 more games.. But 81 more games of what? The same?

I can't stomach it.

I don't blame Reef. Like I said last year. Reef is a tool... He has to be put in the right position to be effective. Us having Reef at the threee point line is not the most effective place for him.

JT on the otherhand.. Says a lot about what he wants to do... However, when he's on the court... it's a different story. His game hasn't really changed in 3 years. He's still a SG in a PG's body. Maybe coming off the bench is the best usage of JT.

[swolehawk2]

[censored], I hope u didn't watch the San Antonio game last night you would probably want to trade everybody but Duncan.

I'm glad the season is longer than one game.

[Playmaker0017]

Swole,

The difference is that San Antonio doesn't have a history of having a PG who can't initiate an offense. A propensity to turn it over. A long lasting desire to fade in the third quarter.

We have all those things... and they all took flight in this game.

So, it is more of the same.

It can be forgiven if it wasn't the "same ol', same ol'"

Play.

[cyman3]

c'mon Diesel...

its just one game. Thats like saying Philly has a 100% chance of winning a game w/ Big Dog on the bench.

if it keeps happenin, we keep losing, our TO is up, we cant finish games... then i will personally owe u an apology...

but lets not overreact from 1 game...

[chillzatl]

The owners and management had to make a decision. Keep an aging, physically limited player or keep a young, mentally limited player. They made their decision. I won't say that either one would have been right or wrong. But they had to make a decision, either way.

The only problem with letting bigdog go, is that they replaced him with a guy that is his mirror image, except Jackson doesn't score as well.

It's disheartening to see this team come out and lose game 1 in the same fashion they last 40something last season. Sloppy, listless, heartless play.

[swolehawk2]

SJax is not the mirror image of Dog...do u have a clue? He is more athletic, has better range, plays better D. Did you see S Jax take that charge in transition on Baron Davis...Dog doesn''t know what taking a charge is.

Big Dog is horrible.

[mrhonline]

Oh boy. I've been called out after ONE game by the same ego that complained that THIRTEEN games is too small a sample.

Travesty of travesties.

Gonna' have to do better than that, O' Great Lord of Hawksquawk.

[Traceman]

as good as Dog is. Not even close. And I like Jax. As you said, Jax IS more athletic and he DOES play better D. But where do you get the notion that he has better range than Dog? They shoot basically the same percentage from the 3 pt line (I think Dog actually shoots a slightly higher percentage). In addition, Dog is a FAR better midrange shooter, scorer and rebounder. They both turn it over at an alarming rate so that's a wash.

HOPEFULLY, Jax will end up being a great fit with this team but actually, I think the success or failure of this team will depend on the development of Glover at SG. We simply play better when he's on the floor. I think that would have been the case if Dog had stuck around and I think we can play well with Jax on the floor, as long as Glove is there too.

[swolehawk2]

First of all Dog is not a scorer he is a jump shooter...scorers can dribble ...scorers get to the rack...Dog does none of that. The only reason he has been successful in this league is because of his mid range jump shot is so good and he has enough height to get it off...the reason he gets the few rebounds he does is because he plays so far off his man he is always in great rebounding position.... its not like Dog is down their banging getting rebounds

How is Dog soooo much better than Jax when as you say their three point shooting is even....if Dog is a FAR better shooter than Jax ...the certainly Jax is a FAR better defender than Dog. I mean Dog didn't even get back on D half the time...and I have the game tape to prove it...actually go back and watch some games from last year...Dog's play will make you want to vomit. I think Jax is the better all around player...

Dog really doesn't do anything well except shoot midrange jump shots.

[Diesel]

The Shear Numbers that dog put up...

A career of 20/6.

That's not 1 game. Not 1 season. A whole career. Until he got here he had a career FG% over 45%. You can talk as much as you like... however, the truth is that throughout the history of Basketball, it's hard to find Many SFs that can duplicate those numbers.

I mean, even NOW... It's only 1 or 2 that put up better numbers.

As far as fit.... You are really asking a terrible question..

You say that Dog wasn't a good fit because of his athleticism and his defense.

Well, last time I looked, the only defensive player we have is Theo... They only athletic players we have are Glover and JT...

HOWEVER, I would ask you...

If we had Andre' Miller running the PG, would he have still been a bad fit??

The truth is that I believe that Big Dog was a better fit for us than JT is?

Yes, Diesel just complicated matters with the truth...

Let me explain.

My notion was that Big Dog was brought here to be the compliment to Reef. Reef had experienced double and triple teams all season long 2 years ago because everyone knew that our scoring options were limited. The other night, it was like N.O. pulled out their old Silas playbook on us... Double/Triple Reef, Token pressure on JT as he brings the ball up. They knew if they forced the ball out of JT's hands it would disrupt our offense because JT would fall into the mode of being a scorer and not leading our offense. They knew that if they double Reef, it would disrupt our offense because our offense has NO MOVEMENT. However, with Big Dog on the floor, the game changed. Another player who can score. The Problem was PG management.

Philly has 2 more games without Dog... However, wait until Dog plays. Eric Snow is a good enough PG to manage. Iverson is also a good enough player to take control.

I say that Big Dog is a better fit than JT because look over JT's career as a Hawk...

For 4 years, we have tried to find a Spot for him. SG/PG/SG/ no PG.. Then we have tried to find players to compliment him... Email, Toni, Diaw... Nothing has worked (well, Toni worked momentarily) but coaches have had to dumb down offensive schemes and most of the time it looks like piedmont park Basketball League play. The truth is JT is a bad fit at PG. He can't run the offense. It's unfortunate because he's a good scorer and he's fast. However, none of those 17 points matter if he keeps the team from scoring.