We are probably a play in team again….

[RedDawg#8]

Our ceiling is the 6th seed unless something changes.

Boston is in its own class. MIL and BKN have the talent and experience to coast and still be top 4 teams.

Philly and Cleveland have something going and seem to have figured it out.

We realistically should have been in the mix with Philly and Cleveland this season. But instead are hanging around with the Knicks and Pacers.

Not to mention the Heat who have dominated our division for years and are just sitting right there a half a game back. They could flip a switch at any moment and jump up in the standings.

 

 

[sturt]

24 minutes ago, Final_quest said:

I see both sides.

Hard to give you the benefit of a doubt on that one. The balance of your post is distinctively one-sided.

 

24 minutes ago, Final_quest said:

Hanging your hat

Stop right there.

I'm not hanging my hat on anything at this juncture.

Some people aren't comfortable with ambiguity. It's in their nature to feel it imperative to reach conclusions, perhaps because they feel it's somehow impressive if they're able to stick their chest out later and claim, "I was the first to predict X." (And it's not impressive. Even those who sometimes get things right, also get things wrong. We're all mortals, not omniscient.)

I'm not one of those.

We're too early in this to come to a conclusion... is where I'm hanging my hat.

And we are... that much is certain.

I'll save my predictions and projections and conclusions for later. For now, it's still observation time, particularly as this roster just now is getting a strong opportunity to have all its primary parts on the floor at once.

 

My last words for the day. Over and out.

[JeffS17]

47 minutes ago, sturt said:

I really don't have time today to get into it with anyone, but suffice it to say, some of us dig into the data and not just this season but from previous seasons

But have you done that with all 30 teams?  If not, you have an extremely biased approach, which is the point that I have to drive home every time you start down this path.

[Spud2nique]

43 minutes ago, sturt said:

Thanks for your interest in my personal and professional life.... hehe... today and this week for that matter is devoted to a work retreat, planning for 2023.

Sounds lovely  

[sturt]

Just now, JeffS17 said:

But have you done that with all 30 teams?  If not, you have an extremely biased approach, which is the point that I have to drive home every time you start down this path.

One does not have to "do that with all 30 teams" to have written what I have written... methinks you're reading into what I've written a conclusion I didn't write.

 

 

I'm not hanging my hat on anything at this juncture.

Some people aren't comfortable with ambiguity. It's in their nature to feel it imperative to reach conclusions, perhaps because they feel it's somehow impressive if they're able to stick their chest out later and claim, "I was the first to predict X." (And it's not impressive. Even those who sometimes get things right, also get things wrong. We're all mortals, not omniscient.)

I'm not one of those.

We're too early in this to come to a conclusion... is where I'm hanging my hat.

And we are... that much is certain.

I'll save my predictions and projections and conclusions for later. For now, it's still observation time, particularly as this roster just now is getting a strong opportunity to have all its primary parts on the floor at once.

[shakes]

14 minutes ago, JeffS17 said:

But have you done that with all 30 teams?  If not, you have an extremely biased approach, which is the point that I have to drive home every time you start down this path.

Don't worry, the next 25 game pledge is going to come with some contingencies.  We only count games where BOTH teams are 100% healthy.   I expect the pledge to take 3-5 years to complete.

[JeffS17]

3 minutes ago, sturt said:

Some people aren't comfortable with ambiguity.

This is complete conjecture.  Having a lower threshold than your supremely conservative guidelines on when we should draw conclusions about the team does not mean people are uncomfortable with ambiguity.

@JTB even ended his post with "I hope I'm wrong" which does not indicate a conclusion but rather a weak proposition of what we are looking at this season.  

@Final_quest isn't even drawing firm conclusions either -- just speaking to probabilities.  He even said "Until this team has a 3 game winning streak, the feelings are valid".  That's not a conclusion but rather a statement on what we are seeing and what we need to see before we get excited.  No one here is damning us to a play-in, just observing what is a likely reality based on what we have seen this far into the season.  

I appreciate your efforts to warp everyones statements into your soap box conversation frame, but it's not really valid here.  And it's odd to me that you discourage discussion so much on a discussion board.  

[marco102]

Right now, the Hawks record speaks for itself.  They are about a .500 team. 

With healthy starters they have a better record.   The Hawks have 49 games to make up 6 games in the loss column to get the number one seed.  No, I'm not saying they Hawks will be the number 1 seed, just that it's too early to say they will be stuck in the play in.  Now, objectively, they have played like a play-in team thus far. 

Boston was 25-25 last year before going 26-6.  The Hawks have been a second half team in recent years.  This is the best record, 17-16, they've had in the last three years over the first 33 games. 

I want to see a good game tonight and tomorrow night against Brooklyn tomorrow to start really believing in this team again.

[macdaddy]

40 minutes ago, marco102 said:

Boston was 25-25 last year before going 26-6.  The Hawks have been a second half team in recent years.  This is the best record, 17-16, they've had in the last three years over the first 33 games. 

Very true although Boston's improvement wasn't without tweaking.  They had a new coach, Jaylen Brown missed a ton of games early, and they made key trades for White and Theis.    

[marco102]

1 minute ago, macdaddy said:

Very true although Boston's improvement wasn't without tweaking.  They had a new coach, Jaylen Brown missed a ton of games early, and they made key trades for White and Theis.    

The coach was there the entire season. Brown wasn't injured that much  and White and Theis came during the streaking.

[shakes]

*But Boston did it last year*  is surely the most head in the sand argument I've seen posted here this season.

[JayBirdHawk]

Too soon to be definitive. The upcoming 5 game West Coast roadie will be interesting to watch.

 

 

 

 

 

[marco102]

3 minutes ago, shakes said:

*But Boston did it last year*  is surely the most head in the sand argument I've seen posted here this season.

Reread my statement and get back to me.

[Final_quest]

4 minutes ago, shakes said:

*But Boston did it last year*  is surely the most head in the sand argument I've seen posted here this season.

I think the best argument is that we've been a second half of the season team, and we're getting some key players back.  I would add that we have been leading a lot of these games that we lost in the 4th.  There are actual reasons to believe we could make a run to avoid the Play In.  

[Gray Mule]

Hawks!  Pick up the pace!  I just checked.  My guess before the season began was 47/35.  With our current record, 17/16, I will not make it.  

Come on Hawks!  Add some victories to your record!

[macdaddy]

48 minutes ago, marco102 said:

The coach was there the entire season. Brown wasn't injured that much  and White and Theis came during the streaking.

But it always takes time for a new coach and new system to gel especially a first time HC.    We're a year and half into the Nate with 4 out of 5 of the same starters.  

[macdaddy]

5 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

Hawks!  Pick up the pace!  I just checked.  My guess before the season began was 47/35.  With our current record, 17/16, I will not make it.  

Come on Hawks!  Add some victories to your record!

Well there is the reality check.  It took 46 wins for the Bulls to claim the 6th seed and avoid the play in last year.   So we'd need to go at least 29-20 the rest of the way. (if i did the math right)

The good news is that there are 5 teams really playing well in the east and that 6 spot looks more attainable for now. 

 

[Atlantaholic]

13 hours ago, RedDawg#8 said:

There are 2 key things we are struggling to do consistently which are the hallmark of really good teams:

Starting games fast, and finishing games down the stretch.

We can point to a number of reasons for our struggles but overall if we cannot improve these two things we simply wont be a serious threat in the East.

Our offense overall is pretty trash. Sub-par. 

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, shakes said:

head in the sand

Do it. 

[Spud2nique]

55 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

Hawks!  Pick up the pace!  I just checked.  My guess before the season began was 47/35.  With our current record, 17/16, I will not make it.  

Come on Hawks!  Add some victories to your record!

We are gonna wallop your Hali tonight Gramps. We are gonna work him so hard he’s gonna be a contortionist with his head up his skinny a$$! #somebodyblockthatshot