Franchise Talent

[Wretch]

I've been thinking about that phrase for the last few days... It's what's missing here and it's the source of so much frustration. There are those of us that know what that means. And by "know" I don't mean we see other teams that have franchise talent. I mean, some of us remember the one franchise player we've seen over the past nearly 3 decades.

We were watching when he did this:

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfLjD5ft6o4

Some of you, all you know is highlight reels and stats. But some of us WATCHED him. If you want to "know" what we know, then go back and watch that video again. Pay attention what happens at

in the game... Listen to the commentator describe how Hawks fans must have felt and watch what Dominique does. At 9:38, there's another thing to

to the crowd, the commentator, and look at what is happening. Rewind that over and over again. The word is GREATNESS.

It may get old hearing his name and the "must have a superstar" cliche may make some of you vomit, but you have to realize...this is how it's done. Does it not set off an alarm with some of you that this IS the closest we've gotten to the ECF's in the past 30 years?

Any other Hawks make the cover of this?

Look at the NBA's scoring leaders from 1985 to 1993. Not the #1 scorer, because we all know who that was. But look at the top 5 each year.

Look at the company he's in here.

Look at this man:

For anybody that can question whether or not we need a "go to" guy... For anybody who wants to build a team around a "pretty good" player, you have to understand - it won't cut it. This man WENT TO BOSTON and did battle in one of the MOST HOSTILE ARENAS in NBA History, before the nastiest fans, and took on one of the most EPIC and ICONIC teams in NBA history, led by one of the greatest players to ever play the game...and went toe to toe with them. DAMN near winning the thing.

...and this wasn't one game. Not for us that watched him. This was when we turned on the TV to catch regular Hawks games. He was phenomenal and there is NOBODY on this team on that level. There are however, *PLENTY* of teams in the NBA with MORE THAN ONE player on his level. There will ALWAYS be players like that. And as they age, future franchise talent pours into the league year after year. You can't escape it. These teams are going to find that talent and they're going to put a tough team on the court that is going to HIT HARD. You need a TEAM led by a FRANCHISE TALENT that can fight back.

...otherwise, what the *bleep* are you doing? Other than being that perpetual mediocre team every year that the analysts never even mention...that team that is never in a "big" game. That team that nobody cares about...

That's why you need a franchise talent and that's why you don't settle. It's not an easy or comfortable process, but you do what it takes. The thing is, some of you guys have become conditioned. Like prisoners. You know no other life so your expectations are on the floor.

You just can't imagine a dominant team in Atlanta and the notion seems ridiculous...

You are happy with making the playoffs and watching a team compete...

You are willing to settle for "pretty good" players...

You are AFRAID to make real changes to your team in pursuit of greatness.

...and it's sickening and mind-numbing.

[Jody23]

Great post Wretch!

[Azodl]

This is a great post but did anyone else think to themselves "wow, Dominique didn't really give much second effort on the defensive end." after watching this video? I became a fan of the Hawks because of Nique but I guess I never paid too much attention to his defense, since I was just a kid.

[macdaddy]

This is a great post but did anyone else think to themselves "wow, Dominique didn't really give much second effort on the defensive end." after watching this video? I became a fan of the Hawks because of Nique but I guess I never paid too much attention to his defense, since I was just a kid.

That was an era when defense was pretty pathetic league wide compared to what they face nowadays. That's why Detroit came along and did so well. You watch these clips and there is free movement with the ball, open 12-15 footers all day. It may be the way they called the game. From 0:45-1:15 is a god awful sequence of basketball culminated by a pathetic dunk by Parish that causes him to need oxygen over a more pathetic block attempt by tree. I love these guys but the game has changed a lot.

[Buzzard]

It is hard to fathom for most that we had a player who was in the top five in scoring for that many years. And he did it while shooting at a high fg%, ft% and also being a top rebounding, steals leader, and shotblocking SF the whole time as well.Some think Josh is dominant because he has 10 to 20 games a season like that while Nique had 60 to 70 games a season that were dominant.

[Wretch]

It is hard to fathom for most that we had a player who was in the top five in scoring for that many years. And he did it while shooting at a high fg%, ft% and also being a top rebounding, steals leader, and shotblocking SF the whole time as well.

Some think Josh is dominant because he has 10 to 20 games a season like that while Nique had 60 to 70 games a season that were dominant.

One thing that escapes people is the effect that this kind of player has. We sit here and watch these guys on TV and we put our hopes on them. But something that goes completely unsaid is how OTHER players look at these guys... The players on the court have a vested interest in the game and they KNOW who the bread winner is.

These guys are riding him. They're not going to step on his toes. They're not going to get in his way. They're gonna listen and they're going to be willing to play their role. Hell, they'll turn their backs on their team just to join yours and fill a role.

It's not a good thing when on any given night, any player can step up and lead the team. Because then, everybody thinks it's their shot and it's their team. You need an "alpha" dog.

Another thing is, the players themselves are not worried about all the baskets in between. They're not worried about stats. It's every possession - on BOTH ends. Basket by basket. A franchise player could have an off night, in a closeout situation. Down 10 with 3 minutes left to go, they're shooting 30% on the night. Looks like the season is coming to an end, but a turnover, some solid D, or just a missed shot here or there...on the other end, someone unexpected steps up (like Ron Artest a few years ago)...now you've got a quick 5-0 run and *surprise*, you've got the ball back.

Now it's down 5 with a minute left to go and we've got the ball.

FREEZE.

Pause time right here.

The Joe Johnson-led Hawks, with Smoove on the court. The defense knows where it's going. They're not going to let JJ do it. They want the ball to get to Smoove's hands and if he gets it, they're going to give him room.

Why?

...and do you NOT know how this turns out? After 5 years of playoff basketball? Now, take Joe out of the equation (like this season) and force Smoove to put it on the floor from 10 or so feet out. Give him an open jumper in this situation. Hell, put him on the block. Hell, just give him the ball. You can't ride him like that. It's not his role. He's not that kind of player. Josh is not the scoring option that people want him to be. He's just...not.

And yet....

Now, unfreeze and you take a true franchise player and put him in that situation. All of a sudden, this is a different game now.

This is sports. Basketball is no different from any other pro sport. In this kind of situation, you want the pitcher than can paint the corners or blow it past them with the cannon. You want the black hole goalie. You want the receiver that won't drop it and the QB that can get it to him.

In basketball, you want the guy that will...PUT THE DAMN BALL IN THE BASKET. Not the guy that COULD or MIGHT do it. You want the guy that WILL do it.

And you beg, borrow, steal, lie, cheat, murder, pillage, burn, sell the farm, bet the house, you get the guy. You get his ass. How is irrelevant. Because UNLIKE other sports, there are only 5 guys on the court for you at any given time. The role of the individual player on the basketball team is MUCH MORE significant than in any other sport. And if the other team has a guy like that (let alone 2 or 3)...you damn well better have some sort of response ready.