Hotlanta please show us the way...

[CHORO44]

Hotlanta,

I do not recall you ever having anything positive to say about our Atlanta Hawks. I've read through numerous Diesel rebuilding/trade posts and am curious as to what you think the Hawks need to do. Please provide us with your plan for the Hawks if you were GM.

[Plainview1981]

Where do you start? I honestly feel Atlanta will not be

a sucessful franchise here in Atlanta. That's the biggest

hurdle of them all. My feeling is the franchise can't wait

for a year project like Kwame Brown. They have new owners

and drafting somebody that is most likely far away from

being good isn't a way to build on momentum. It seems like

Okafore is the best guy to draft besides the fact that he

has back problems which doesn't bother me until it gets

more serious with things like stress fractures. My feeling

is there isn't much hope in this draft. Howard doesn't bring

the nationwide attention that Bron did last year so expecting

a increased fanbase with him is not likely.

To start with that I'd have to look at the lists of the FA's

upcoming years and such. The best way to start the team is

with someone more proven. It's hard to get something going

with a bunch of unprovens like the Bulls team.

Depending on how bad Okafors back is I think you start by

drafting him.

I haven't said one good thing about the Hawks the last

5 years...Is it really that hard to see why that is?

[Diesel]

Dude the City will embrace the Hawks if the Hawks give the fans a personality.

JT ain't it.

The Hawks need a guy who can carry the team and will be vocal.

Nique was vocal in slam dunk contests and playoff games.

The Hawks need:

TMAC

I don't think Duncan can bring in the fans.

I don't think AI can bring in enough wins.

I don't think Kobe is charasmatic enough.

I don't think Vince will stay Healthy.

Webber neither.

I don't think KG would come at all.

Lebron is Cleveland's star!

We need Tmac.

Here's the question....

If we were picking first.

Would you give JT/Okafur/Future first for TMAC!

In the end we would have Cap Space/Jax/Tmac.... as a starting spot.

Orlando would have the opportunity to get Okafur and possibly Livingston or Smith.

I'm sure Howard and Gooden would be on there way somewhere.

[jeddelong]

I think people forget this:

"An NBA-record 62,046 fans were in attendance at the Georgia Dome to witness what may be the last game in Atlanta for Michael Jordan, who scored 34 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to their eighth straight win, 89-74 over the Hawks.

The Hawks sold 8,000 'video screen only' tickets that offered no actual view of the court. The purchase of those seats gave the Georgia Dome the record for the most people ever at one arena to see an NBA game, surpassing the previous mark of 61,983 fans that saw Boston and Detroit play at the Silverdome on January 29th, 1988.

"It's a special feeling when 62,000 people come out to see you play," Jordan said. "It certainly is a lot of respect that is being paid, but as you walk out onto the court, you know you can't focus on how big the crowd is. You have to focus on what you have to do out there as a basketball team."

I don't get how anyone says this isn't a basketball town. You just have to give them a product (it may never be Jordan attendance but they can fill Phillips)

[KB21]

TMAC isn't the answer by himself. Orlando's fan attendance is almost as bad as Atlanta's, and he has shown that as great as he is as an individual player, he can't elevate that team. Doc Rivers alluded to the fact that TMAC isn't a leader. He stated that one of the reasons they let Darrell Armstrong go was to force TMAC to take on more of a leadership role. He didn't, and Doc got fired because of it.

[Diesel]

Orlando would appreciate a winning team more than a personality. When they had Shaq/Penny/Nick and were going to the playoffs and finals, Otown was the place to be and the O arena was full. However, Atlanta is different. When we had 50 win teams, we couldn't fill the seats for playoff games. The worst thing I have ever seen was Indiana bringing their fans to the Omni and them waving the white towels....

Unlike Orlando, our fans come out for personalities. Look at the Falcons:

Mike Vick, Deion Sanders, Jamal Anderson... Their attendance has always rode on what personality was coming to the game. The Braves are similar.

However, the Hawks haven't had that personality.

Tmac is probably the guy. I can't think of any other superstar more available than Vinny C, AI, or Kobe.

Of the three, I think Tmac is the best fit. AI could come but AI wouldn't win. It's too much work building around him. Tmac is much easier to work with. IN fact, he and Jax would probably work well as a 2/3 combo.

[Traceman]

Sure the ATL likes stars/personalities but they only like them if the team is winning. Half the fans in the GA Dome were saying that Doug Johnson was better than Vick during the year that Vick nearly single handedly took us to the playoffs. The fans didn't wholeheartedly jump on the Vick bandwagon until the team got on that 7 game winning streak. I can't tell you how many times I heard people in the stands saying that they needed to pull Vick and put Johnson in.

As for Jamaal Anderson, no one was screaming for him until the Falcons started winning. Deion was very popular but I don't remember the GA Dome being sold out all the time when he was here.

As for Orlando, they came out for Shaq/Penny and Co. because that team was good, young and exciting. If T Mac led the Magic to the Finals, I'm sure the fans would be back. Penny was every bit as big a star as T Mac was in his first few years in the league and Shaq has always been Shaq.

I'd LOVE to get T Mac but I'd just as soon have Kobe. Both are young enough to build around and both have mad game.

[Weez]

and Kobe wants to lead. he wants to be the man. he'll say ok team, fine, you're on my back tonight. TMac doesn't like doing that night in and night out ~ he likes having "fun" out there more, and fun with everyone, whereas Kobe has that drive is "fun" comes only with winning, and generally speaking, he trusts himself more than anyone else...

[macdaddy]

A playoff team would get fans out but remember that Philips sux for the average fan. Remember that the arena is empty nowadays but all the good seats are already sold to corporate buyers. Here is the short list of why Philips sux:

-ticket prices are outrageous for bad seats.

-upper level is difficult to get to

-the best seats in the upper level require a long descent from the ceiling down steps so steep I can't believe no one has killed themselves on

-about 5,000 would be prime average fan seats are eliminated by the stupid wall of luxury boxes.

-upper level 'end-zone' seats don't even feel like they are in the arena because of huge walls seperating these seats from the rest of the upper level.

Philips arena is a place that shows indifference to real fans at the expense of corporate season ticket holders. So are we bad fans for not being suckered in to this bs? I support the team at home and when I can get cheap tix.

I could go on but I know most don't agree with me. But notice how when tickets are cheap people come out. So if they really want fans in the seats lower prices. Particularly when the team is bad. This is entertainment and I can't think of a worse entertainment value than Philips arena. Especially when you can watch at home from comfortable seats and save $100.

[Traceman]

I think Philips is a great place to watch a game and there are PLENTY of good seats available. As for prices, the Hawks' ticket prices/packages are below the league average at every level. There are a lot of seats available in the lower level and you can get one now if you are willing to buy them now while the team is not very good. After the next superstar gets here and/or the team starts winning, that likely won't be the case.

As for the upper level being difficult to get to and steep, it is but that is because they placed an emphasis on getting those seats as close to the floor as possible. If they had not made them so steep, they would have had to push them further away from the court. I don't think there is a really bad seat in Philips and you certainly won't get a better seat for $10 bucks ANYWHERE in the NBA than in the upper reaches of Philips.

If your complaint is that the ENTIRE NBA charges too much for its tickets, I think you have a valid argument but I don't agree that Philips is the problem when the Hawks have some of the least expensive tickets in the entire league.

[Lascar78]

yeah I agree, I think Phillips is a great place to watch a game

yes the wall of luxury boxes sucks, but that's what you need these days

there are great deals, especially for students

also people complain alot that ushers don't let you move to any section. I think this is pretty standard. It's just not as noticeable in arenas when most seats are sold out. It just sucks when the whole lower level is empty and they won't let you move down. But you have to understand that if they didnt do that there would be no reason to buy good seats. I mean it's just business.

[chillzatl]

There's not a bad seat in the house and you can get ground floor seats for 55-65 bucks. I mean seats close enough that you could literally spit on the opposing team.

I've never sat in the uppers for a Hawks game but have for the Thrashers and I had no problems getting to my seats.

I would have LOVED to have had the Phil when we had Mookie and Co. The place would have been rocking.

[cyman3]

like myself... can get $60 tickets for $30...

pretty close... sittin behind the rich peop section... lol

[Plainview1981]

Pettit can be argued as being one of the best PFs in the history of the game. He played in a time when competition was better and he won a championship.

"

Wasn't Pettit a slow white dude? His team won a title with

the team shooting 41%? Basketball must have really sucked

back in this days. And we think it's bad now. I just can't

picture a team shooting 41% and winning a title. Bob Cousy

shot in the high 30's. That's just terrible.