Diesel's 2023 Note to Pessimistic Hawks "Fans". Please respond if you feel led to...

[Diesel]

 Since Babcock Traded Nique for 1/2 a season of Danny Manning, we have thirstily waited for the Hawks to Draft or Trade for a Star.  We had some meh attempts along the way. 

First there was Deke.   Deke was great.   A humanitarian.   Led the league in Blocks.  Was a Rebound Leader.   A full on defensive force.  BUT the Bumblingness of Babcock couldn't capitalize on putting the right coach and the right players around Deke.   And, it was the Jordan Era.  Half Stepping wasn't going to get it.   Did you remember that Lenny Wilkens Last run with the Hawks.. we had Deke for 82 games.  And we went 28-54.   Yes.  Isaiah Rider, Jimmy Jackson, and Deke.  28-54.   The next year... after Deke had logged in 49 games, this happened...

February 22, 2001

Traded Roshown McLeod and Dikembe Mutombo to the Philadelphia 76ers for Toni Kukoč, Nazr Mohammed, Theo Ratliff and Pepe Sánchez.

Yeah, we said that Deke was "getting old" and we can win with Deke.  Funny thing is that Deke went to the NBA Finals after we traded him. And the Lon Kruger years were really bad. From 1999 to 2007, we didn't sniff the playoffs.   Not 1 Sniff. 

Next... There was Joe Marcus Johnson.  Yeah,  I skipped the part where we traded Pau Gasol for Shareef and Shareef did a YeoMan's Job for Nothing.  And Gasol became a Hall of Famer.  Back to Joe.   Joe made 7 allstar teams.  It was about being very good and being a nice guy.   Joe was a part of the Woodson Experiment where we loaded Joe up with young fellas who were Long, athletic, and Versatile..    The Problem happened here:

June 28, 2005

Drafted Marvin Williams in the 1st round (2nd pick) of the 2005 NBA Draft.

June 28, 2006

Drafted Shelden Williams in the 1st round (5th pick) of the 2006 NBA Draft.

 Billy Knight... after having shown great integrity by not shaking Belkin's hand..  turns around and make these two draft mistakes.   Franchise wreckers.  CP3 + Joe Johnson possibly could have won a championship.  But it shows.. what happens when you don't pay attention to the details.   Knight needed more scouts.   He needed a whole freaking Scouting department.  Instead, he just went to the Barbershop in Sandy Springs and listened to what they were talking about.   Yes.. He didn't even go to the hood. 

Well, that handicapped Joe Marcus Johnson.    So Next was... A group of none Superstars but Stars..  Yes, Korver was great.  Yes, Millsap was great.  Yes, Horford was great.  Yes, Teague was great.. We had a big 4.  Well, maybe a medium 4.   One of the problems here was that there was nobody who would accept the role of leader.   We were a rudderless ship.   Sure we were pretty..  Sure we sailed well. Sure we were fast... But we didn't know where we were going.   One NY City Cop who was a Cleveland Fan later and we're in the ECFs getting swept and laughed off TV. 

Once again, another Atlanta Franchise that flew too close to the Sun. 

So in our perpetual mediocrity, we waited for a day when the gods would shine their light down on us and send us a player who could do great things.  A player who was a leader.   A player who didn't avoid the big moments... And we got it.  Now is the Era of ICE TRAE!!!  He has already lead us further through the playoffs than Any Atlanta Hawks Has...  2 wins in the ECF.. upended by a Ref's foot.   Trae is a player already mentioned among the greats...

 

      

     

 

        

 

 

And when somebody has the nerve to say that Trae Young is overrated There are "FANS" who have the nerve to agree and every day they post Stupid as Trae Trade propositions?  Really....