It is hard work being a true hawks fan.

[Lrenfro]

I saw the Miami game on TV. I was upset however I still suited up in my Hawks gear and went to the Memphis game as bright RED as I could be. Yes I talked much trash before the game being mocked at about the Miami game. Little did I know how bad I had to eat my words. Yes I expected a loss on a back-to-back game. Maybe even by a large margin. But never by 32 points. I had a flash back from a few years back. All of that said and done, that was not the problem I have with the hawks. This was the most boring game I have ever seen. The one thing, the only thing I looked fwd to this season was excitement. I was not worried about losses or even a loosing season. I just knew there would be some excitement. There was one slam-dunk from the hawks the whole game. 2 3-pointers. No nice passes, no steals to have a fast break on. No D@mn Rebounds at all. No lay-ups no freaking blocks. As a matter of fact I saw no defense. HMMM no defense from a defensive coach/team? Nothing to through back at the Memphis fans as I sat through the whole game because I was too embarrassed to let them see me leave early. I had to support them to the end. I sat at the end of the game with my bright red hawks hat covering my face as I sat in my uncles season ticket seat around all his season ticket holder friends as I was politely asked never to return until I could support a real NBA team because High school teams are only for halftime shows in the FedEx forum.

[Blunt91]

Seems like this Hawks team played hard against Orlando and Minnesotta but have stopped competing since then. Fans were saying we had a chance to make the playoffs after the game in Macon. The only true weakness I saw was that we didn't rebound well enough but at least we played the passing lanes well, even Drobjnak had a steal but fell to convert it to a basket.

[d2v16DKG]

Hard being a Hawk fan, that's an understatement! But what did we expect when we get rid of every player from last year including the coach. All this excitement about cap room has led to nothing but getting rejects, retreads, and rookies with supposed potential that's hard to see at this time. Getting cap room is one thing but getting others to want to play here is another matter. The fire sale scared me from the beginning and I'm really scared now!

[OGRat]

Guys,

This year isn't supposed to be a winning year. Accept it. We are rebuilding, and it won't happen over night.

All I want to see this year is progress and a lotery pick. Based upon the teams performance in the preseason, it will be hard to not show progress. Let's just look forward to it.

[Lrenfro]

I did not expect a winning season but like you said I want progression. I want exitement. I wanna be able to say something positive about each game. Can I get that?

[Nicholasp27]

we haven't yet played a game...so u can't yet say anything positive about games

this is PRESEASON...everybody needs to calm down

[Lrenfro]

I know it is preseason. I konw we are trying different things and different combonations( I saw the same rotation in Memphis that I did in Miami minus 42 squared.) But I still wanted to see J-chill break loose and get a slam dunk. Aw should do what he does. I just wanted to see some action. I did not get any of that.

[chillzatl]

Nobody every expected thsi to be a winning season. We are a rebuilding team that has a chance, a very slim chance, at winning some games in the muck filled east. Too many people have clung to that slim chance and let it grow into something that realistically, it should not be. We are a very young team with one "star" player in Walker. Beyond that we've got lots of youth and lots of age. Neither of which are the recipe for a winning season in the NBA.

Be realistic. Expect to lose. Then be extra happy when we win. Learn to identify and appreciate the small improvements that will come over the course of the season. Both as a team and individually.

THere is nothing wrong in hoping for a good season. But to expect it is to set yourself up for 82 games of misery.

[Gray Mule]

Excitement. Not victories. We really don't expect to

win bunches and bunches of games. That, we can live with.

At least, most of us.

Exciting play - - making our opponents earn every victory

and know that they were in a fight -taht's what we hope for.

We know that not all plays will be the exciting but we

do expect to see flashes of potential stardom coming out

of our players. A defensive stop. A blocked shot.

That pass that set up a score. Sure, and a dunk or two

thrown in to liven things up.

Our team of mis-fit, playing for a contract group gave

us some of the most exciting play seen in several years.

We knew they weren't going to stay here and they didn't

win a lot of games, but they were EXCITING!!!!!

Maybe we got spoiled by that short bit of basketball

which was, for the most part, as far as Atlanta was

concerned, meaningless. I guess we wanted this to carry

over from the last half of last season to this year's

pre-season.

Things WILL get better.

[Employee8]

graymule,

No offense but I don't want to be a part of the "excitement" that involved Jason Terry and Company in losing a boatload of games.....

I'd rather it be BORING and we Win.

But anyway......for the last time :

IT'S PRE-SEASON!!!!!!!!! CALM DOWN!!!

*ahem*

thank you.

[Diesel]

Let's be honest here. We are building a future. The team we had was not going to win anything. In fact, all we were doing was paying 60 million dollars for them to underachieve. I think BK did the right thing.

Look at the pieces we have now:

Childress - Part of the future.

Harrington - Big Part of the future.

Diaw - Maybe Part of the future.

J-Smith - Could turn out to be the star that we have been seeking.

That's a foundation. We need other pieces to go with them, but those are our guys. I like Barry. I like the experience that Anderson and Willis Brings.

So the question is what about Walker?

Well, He's not slated in stone. I think he will be the reason we don't get a lottery pick AND could be big time trade bait by Feb. It depends on what BK wants to do.

The point is that we had to realize that players were not just going to flock to this team. We also had to realize that our best bet was get some lottery picks, get some money under the cap and take a few years in building a winner.

In other words, it won't happen overnight.

I applaud the effort Knight has put fourth thus far, especially in FAcy. He has treated guys with class and respect. That will go a long way in the future.

As far as this year, I don't think we will be a high lottery team. I think we will finish mediocre. I think Walker will have a break out year and we will have a choice of to keep him or to trade him by Feb. At his salary, I say if we can get some significant players, trade him. But we shall see.

[Plainview1981]

Childress - Part of the future.

Harrington - Big Part of the future.

Diaw - Maybe Part of the future.

J-Smith - Could turn out to be the star that we have been seeking.

"

When is Childress going to start showing some kind of

talent? Granted I only watched the first half of the

Heat game but from the boxscores he hasn't looked decent

and he wasn't even decent in the preseason againest

bums. Harrington could be a good 3rd option for the

future... But so far it is questionable if he can

handle alot of defensive attention.

[Diesel]

These games are meaningless. This team is young.

You have to understand that Chillz didn't go to an experienced team. We don't have Stockton/Malone here and just needs some player to come in and play a role. Woodson is working from the ground up. So Chillz has to exhibit all of his skills and then be rolled up and molded as part of the team.

Chillz is young so this is going to take time. I say evaluate after 20 games.

His size is of concern, but if he's the 2, I don't see a problem. WE just have to be patient with him. Usually, it's the rookies that go to established teams that look good... OH. ANd Lebron James.

[Plainview1981]

I don't think anybody is expecting 20/5/3 from the

guy. But atleast be able to score alittle bit. I mean

he was a 3 year player? He should be able to give some

reason why he is worthy of the 6th pick. I thought he

could be something like a Rip or a Shane Battier. He

has a ways to go before he is even Battier.

[Diesel]

Battier didn't make noise during his preseason of his rookie campaign either. In fact, Battier is just now starting to come into his game and that's with heavy rotation in Memphis.

Again, the difference is that we are not an experienced team. All the pieces are new and all the pieces have something to prove. Woodson has a great job on his hands even though he too is new and has something to prove.

I think before it's all over, we will see Chillz develop into a 11/5/3 SG while splitting time at the position with Barry...