Atlanta Hawks rival?

[Gray Mule]

Boston was.  There was no great love shown when these two teams met

in the playoffs and they had to go so long against the Hawks to advance.

 

Then, probably the two most un liked Celtic players moved on and, because

of them, their new teams became what Boston had been on our list.

 

Garnet and Paul Pierce.  Did any real Hawk fan like either player?

 

Now, since this has become history and these players are long gone from

Boston, we only have the Cavs, who are the darlings of the media and who,

along with the guys in the striped shirts, made our beloved Hawks seem

so very ordinary vs their supposed greatness, who of us now love Cleveland?

 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Our rival isn't a team, it's a player.

Paul Pierce.

[Guest]

Our rival isn't a team, it's a player.

Paul Pierce.

Yes, yes and Yes.

[ATLHawks3]

You could make a case that Washington is our biggest rival.

[LamarHampton]

Been waiting for Charlotte to be a legit rival for awhile now since that would have obvious proximity factors involved, but they just suck suck suck. Would be awesome to get a rivalry going with them so we could have fans invading each other's buildings and causing calamity.

[AHF]

Our rival isn't a team, it's a player.

Paul Pierce.

That maybe a sad meta commentary on the way the NBA has promoted stars over teams.

[BrazilianHawk]

Our rival isn't a team, it's a player.

Paul Pierce.

 

Took the words right out of my mouth. But, since I can't stand DW (you know, that guy who has resorted to thuggery) I'm going to say if the Hawks had a rival, it would be the Heat.

[Wurider05]

MJ, Iverson, Vince Carter, Paul Pierce, occassional journeyman/scrub who scores his career high against us, have all been our rivals. If I had to pick a rival right now I would go with the Wizards. We would have to end a playoff run for the Cavs for them to be considered a rival. 

[00Blink]

I don't think we truly have a rival yet.  We need sustained success accompanied by back and forth wins and tension/bitterness to get there.  Nothing makes it more clear than the diversity of answers on this thread and the inclusion of a team like Golden State as our rival:  never met in the playoffs, no significant victory or loss (involving both teams) in the history of the franchises, no bad blood between the teams, individual players or fan bases...ladies and gent I give you our biggest rival!  

 

In the near term, Cleveland and anyone in the SE Division have the potential to be our rival of the day if circumstances play out right.  For Cleveland to be that team, we have to put their fans in fear that they might actually lose in the playoffs to us.  We aren't there yet.

I agree with the 'what it takes to be a rival' assessment 100%. And for the reasons you stated above, that is why I go with Wiz.

 

There is bad blood, at least from the Wiz perspective. Wall talking about we intentionally tried to hurt him and we intentionally went after his hand. Beal stating that they should've flat out won the series - disrespecting us. And of course the drama and excitement that Paula Pierce brought for one year. He ignited the rivalry! Just like the Boston series a few years back between him and Horford and him and Joe Johnson (Joe choking at the line and Paul Pierce taunting - CLASSIC). Don't forget the 'did you call glass?'...<pause>...'I call game'. That was some good $hit right there - another CLASSIC!!

 

The playoff series brought excitement, drama, intrigue, and relevance to the rival. I think it continues as both teams get better and improves and truly becomes eastern conference contenders. Add to the fact that we are in the same division and yeah, I call Wiz our rivals.

[AHF]

I agree with the 'what it takes to be a rival' assessment 100%. And for the reasons you stated above, that is why I go with Wiz.

 

There is bad blood, at least from the Wiz perspective. Wall talking about we intentionally tried to hurt him and we intentionally went after his hand. Beal stating that they should've flat out won the series - disrespecting us. And of course the drama and excitement that Paula Pierce brought for one year. He ignited the rivalry! Just like the Boston series a few years back between him and Horford and him and Joe Johnson (Joe choking at the line and Paul Pierce taunting - CLASSIC). Don't forget the 'did you call glass?'...<pause>...'I call game'. That was some good $hit right there - another CLASSIC!!

 

The playoff series brought excitement, drama, intrigue, and relevance to the rival. I think it continues as both teams get better and improves and truly becomes eastern conference contenders. Add to the fact that we are in the same division and yeah, I call Wiz our rivals.

I think that makes them the best current candidate to develop into a rivalry.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

I agree with the 'what it takes to be a rival' assessment 100%. And for the reasons you stated above, that is why I go with Wiz.

 

There is bad blood, at least from the Wiz perspective. Wall talking about we intentionally tried to hurt him and we intentionally went after his hand. Beal stating that they should've flat out won the series - disrespecting us. And of course the drama and excitement that Paula Pierce brought for one year. He ignited the rivalry! Just like the Boston series a few years back between him and Horford and him and Joe Johnson (Joe choking at the line and Paul Pierce taunting - CLASSIC). Don't forget the 'did you call glass?'...<pause>...'I call game'. That was some good $hit right there - another CLASSIC!!

 

The playoff series brought excitement, drama, intrigue, and relevance to the rival. I think it continues as both teams get better and improves and truly becomes eastern conference contenders. Add to the fact that we are in the same division and yeah, I call Wiz our rivals.

 

And that's why I say that our rival actually Pierce, and not a team.  No one player in the league riles up this fan base like that SOB, whether it be with his play, or with his actions.

 

Team wise, the answer to this question before the start of last season, would've been the Indiana Pacers.   Wade and the Heat SHOULD be our rival, but they're not a "villianous" type of squad.  The same goes for Charlotte.  

 

Let's see what Washington does this year, to see if they can create a rivalry without Pierce.  During the season, we waxed that team and they weren't a threat. But it was the heroics of Pierce during the playoffs, that made that series competitive.

 

Even while he was in Boston, that team never viewed us as their "rival".  But we did.  And it mainly was because of our desire to beat and shut up Pierce.

 

2012 Pierce "Tebow"

 

 

This is some Terrell Owens vs Dallas type of disrespect.

 

Edited August 15, 2015 by TheNorthCydeRises

[BigDog90]

I'd say the Pacers is the closest thing they have to a rival. They went all out 2013-14 playoffs with the marketing for the Pacers/Hawks series. It sucks that Indy couldn't win out as 8th seed this past year to face the Hawks. This would have been the year the Hawks would have finally beat them.

[RedDawg#8]

With the way the league is now a days there arent many real rivalries left outside of the traditional teams. As long as Lebron is in the East tho every team in his conference is a rival or at least "gets up" for games against him.

[benhillboy]

I simply don't respect the Wiz outside of Beal. Some clown throwing up gang signs and complaining about other players' contracts while expected to be his team's leader isn't fit to be our rival, especially in year 3 of the process when we hit out stride for real. The screening of Gortat and Nene was as important if not more so than anything Wall does, and they're clearly on the back end of their careers. I wish it were the Warriors, but there isn't any ill-will, too much sportsmanship, and 2,450 miles of separation.

When they came here and we had the two best records in the league there was maybe three times the media attention I expected. For it to spark again, we're going to have to have a better record while procuring some trash talk from Draymond, who already fueled the fire for their meeting versus Cleveland with his drunkeness, followed by a weak declaration by Kyrie. It can happen.

They're our benchmark, were they're closest equal with San An now dominated by the frontcourt. Many in NBA circles would call our game with them last February arguably the best regulation game of the regular season. The only other high-scoring shootout they lost was to OKC.

All in all I don't think the rival thing is in Spur DNA. Those Lakers teams, with all their "personality" and ego didn't develop any storylines, nor did the more tame Suns, even though there were many heated playoff battles. Having negative emotion towards an opponent just doesn't seem like a Pop or Bud hallmark. Clear mind, grasshopper. Playing hard and smart is better than angry and reckless in the long run, but there's a place and time for both I reckon.

Edited August 15, 2015 by benhillboy

[Wretch]

I hate the Celtics.  That is all.

[ThomasCredle]

Who ever Paul Pierce is playing for lol!!! I wouldn't cheer for his team if they were playing ISIS or Al Queda.

Out side the Wiz in division and one more competitive series with the Cav's and that could emerge!

[AHF]

Who ever Paul Pierce is playing for lol!!! I wouldn't cheer for his team if they were playing ISIS or Al Queda.

Out side the Wiz in division and one more competitive series with the Cav's and that could emerge!

 

Fixed!

[Guest]

Agree with @benhillboy on the Zards.  Talk about an unlikeable bunch and they had Paula Pierce on top of it.  If I have to hear how great (not good, great) the Wizards are going to be this coming year my head might literally explode.

 

Last time I checked they still have 2, count 'em, 2 duds in their frontcourt and a guy trying to avoid the bust label in Manual (as in decidedly not Otto-matic) Porter.  Ok, I'll give you Porter having a semi-decent playoffs, but his season was still less than stellar and that was with a vet changing his diapers all year.

 

Sure, Wall and Beal with have a lot of decent nights on O playing that patented my turn/your turn offensive system(sic) but that'll fizzle out when (get this) the real season starts.  Remember they won't likely face a gutless TOR team again to gift them a 2nd round appearance.

 

Speaking of unlikeable, they added the notorious punch-face at the bench 3 position.  They just may supplant 'whoever LeeBrun plays for' as my #2 hated team.  Celts have #1 on lock on my list, btw.

[AUhawksfan]

Charlotte would be an easy pick if they were ever any good.  They definitely have the proximity.

 

I agree that we don't have one because of our pre-Bud play.  We would take care of middle of the pack teams but then get our a$$ handed to us by the elite ones or we just didn't show up on the big stage.  There was never any back and forth with a team, things just went one way or the other.

 

I think one will emerge in the next couple seasons now that we have shown we can at least hang with some of the better teams (minus Cleveland).

 

I think the Pacers, Wizards, or Brooklyn could be that team.  Maybe one day Charlotte.

[bird_dirt]

I would have to say the refs are our biggest rivals. They give us more fits than anyone else on the court.