buckeye242424

Coming out fast is imperative. The first game is crucial for the mental aspect of the series. Of course, every playoff game is important, but getting that first win at home could and will set the tone for the series. All year, the players have worked towards the goal Woody had set for them - homecourt. It would be a shame and a blow to our confidence to lose after one game what they worked hard for all year.

Cool. Thanks. I love the hype, not used to it, but I love it!

People can hate on Webber for his basketball IQ, his commentary and analysis of the game, and his legal issues...but what he did on the court cannot be argued. Stating Smoove is twice the player Webber was is not accurate. Over his long career with multiple teams, he averaged almost 21 points, 10 boards, and 4 assists a game. He made five all-star teams, and was an all NBA First team selection. Those numbers will get some Hall of Fame buzz for crying out loud! In his prime, he was one of the best PF's in the game.

Let's see how much Bibby has left in the tank during the playoffs. His future with Hawks depends solely on the next few weeks. I think the organization will determine what the future is for Bibby in Atlanta based on how he plays in the playoffs.

Seems like Sund and Gearon Jr. may not be on the same page. From Sund's comments the other day, he's more or less saying if we bow out in the first round, it's not a total loss. Gearon, on the other hand, is impressed with the regular season, but see's the playoff success or lack of, as the barometer of success. It will be interesting to see if the Hawks have a poor showing vs. Miami if Gearon will support Woody as the coach of next year's Hawks team. I think thing Sund is on the Woody bandwagon....

LOL...I agree. The Hawks should be, and will be favored to win the series.

Vegas may pick Boston as the favorite if they were to face the Magic in the second round, however my money is on Orlando if those two teams meet. Orlando has been second and third fiddle to Boston and Cleveland all year. Orlando won 59 games this year, yet they're flying under the radar. If KG is out vs. Orlando, look for the Magic to win the series. Sure the Nelson injury hurts, but Alston is more than capable of leading the team into a deep run. With the best center in the league, along with Hedo and Rashard, don't sleep on them in the East.

I would hope this is 100% untrue. Especially around here where everybody knows the purgatory being a Hawks fan has been like over the past decade. I understand expectations have risen, but anyway you slice it, this season is far from a disappointment. The wins alone in the regular season have made this a complete success (compared to past years in this organization). I would hope that if Atlanta WINS a playoff series, then loses to the best team in the east - maybe basketball - people will believe this year was a success and not a failure.

I think people are reading into what Sund said too much. He's not selling the fans a "cop out" if we do lose in the first round. He's saying that in the event we don't win our first round series, our season wasn't a complete failure. We sniffed fifty wins, and secured home court in the first round....which we're goals for the season. Sund is simply stating that if we do lose in the first round to not to forget what was accomplished during the regular season. Don't put what the Hawks accomplished over the 82 game season being solely judged on 4 losses in the post season. He knows there are no rings coming in 08-09. He mentions the Hawks are not "elite" yet in regards to not winning on the road. Of course he wants the Hawks to do as well as they can....but not base the future of the francise on one playoff series.

Mine as well. I'd like to see if there is anything Speedy can contribute come playoff time. I'm not holding my breath. He will be hard pressed to help at all considering he's been watching for two years. Speedy may be able to help us defensively. From what I remember......he was always a decent on the ball defender.

With a star player, and the shady things that have been rumored and proven (see Donaghy) with NBA refs, your concern is legit. The NBA would love to pit Wade vs. LeBron in the second round, as opposed to the Hawks. I like D. Wade. I always have. Although, I have a sneaky suspicion after the series I will hate him because of the calls he's going to get. He's no flopper like Pierce, but he will get his share of phantom calls I'm wagering. I hope it doesn't cost the Hawks the series...one because I'm a fan obviously, but refs should not determine the outcome of a game/series.

I agree with you. Woody allowing JJ his freedom has helped JJ elevate his game. But to say Woody "molded" him is a stretch to me. Like you said, since day one, he told JJ he's the star and the offense will run through him. That's not molding a player, that's letting his true talents come through. Which they have, and the Hawks are reaping JJ's skills.

Nice get. Woody finds "preparation" easy. I would too. "Iso Joe on offense. Switch everything on defense. Now go play!"

I'll give you the lack of team identity. I don't see a consistent philosophy of how to manage the game on either side of the ball. However, this is not the players fault. It's the coaches. But to say the Hawks do nothing well is vague, and ultimately, farce. You can't get to where the Hawks are record wise, or sit where they are in the playoff standings without doing something well. We wouldn't beat teams like the Lakers and Cavs without playing solid.

In Smoove's 456 career attempts at "3" during his 369 games for a whopping 1.24 attempts per game, it would be interesting to know how many of those shots were in desperation with 3 seconds or fewer on the shot clock, and not in the flow of what Woody calls his offense. Often times, in JJ's iso, he's forced to kick it out. Sometimes it seems Smoove is forced to jack up a shot because he has to. That being said, Smoove could cut or do something else than float around out there around the arc, but when his man leaves him to double, sometimes the only open look is for three.

This coming off a 1-8 shooting night.

Steaming is still an issue with X-Box Live. Connection interruptions happen too frequently for my taste, but I'm still a sucker and pay for the service. Playing first person shooters with friends is worth it. Another problem could be the lag time of a constant streaming connection. When I play NBA2K9 on-line, I can tell there's a lag in the gameplay as compared to playing the AI vs. the computer. It's annoying.

Which was the point I was trying to make. Nobody has told him not to shoot, or if the coaches have, it's not working or it's too late. Thanks Ex.

As much as I would love seeing Mullins in a Hawks uniform, he would not help us next year, or the year after. He's a looooong time away from being "pro-ready". I watched every game he had in college, and he will be a solid pro, but not yet. Look what Oden has done thus far, and Koufus from last year. Both we're 7 footers that were one and done's at OSU and drafted in the first round. Oden's struggles are apparent, Koufus is in the D league. Mullins is light years away from those two when they declared. The kid is getting some bad advice. He needs to stay in college. But, you can't blame the guy for going after the money that will be thrown in front of him. He lived in like 13 different houses (if you want to call them that) in Columbus, in some areas you wouldn't be caught dead in. His family has been in and out of prison, and he has no father figure. He's going in the first round because he's 7 foot and has a picture perfect looking jumper. Form wise, it's as fundamental as they come. He's athletic, blocks shots, runs the floor. His hands are awful, all thumbs. He has limited post moves. He led the Big Ten in FG%, but the #'s are skewed because they were all dunks. His defense is poor, save the block shots - but those we're simply because of his height and jumping ability. He didn't start playing until 8th grade. He's raw, bad passer, and makes poor decisions. He needs more experience playing the game to improve. Any team that takes Mullins better realize they won't be reaping the benefits of him until the future. Not a good fit for the Hawks as they are a "big" away from greatly improving their chances in competing for the East.

Heck yeah! This close to the playoffs, we're going to need his scoring. It's true he's a one dimensional player, we need that one dimension of his game to be "on" this time of year!!!

I don't think he's hurt, at least I'm not aware of it, and hope not. My guess is he's slumping, and not getting enough touches to work his way out of it. Sometimes players need more opportunities to score in order to get back on track. The last few games we've been a jump shooting team, which isn't Al's strength of course. I think it's a combination of a bout of cold shooting and not getting enough opportunities.

With the Hawks up four games over Miami and Philly for the fourth spot, with 7 to play, does Woody rest some players down the stretch? I ask the question because if I were in Woody's shoes, I wouldn't be sure. On one hand, you have someone like JJ that leads the league in minutes. Some games down the stretch will be meaningless as far as positioning, do you give the guy a break (as well as others)? Or, with the poor performance against Philly, as a coach, do you continue to play the starters big minutes in order to try and improve and go into the playoffs as sharp as can be? Thoughts?

Every team in the NBA has areas to improve on! They don't lose every game on the road, but they need to play better. Even as bad as they are on the road, they're still sniffing 50 wins. Defensive identity? That's not the players' fault. Free throws?? C'mon dude, you're reaching. You want to blow up a 50 win 4th seeded playoff team for shooting 73% at the line?? Every NBA team has weaknesses. You are looking for perfection. The Hawks haven't failed at anything yet. They have had a great year, and if they're so bad, stop watching them. After reading post after post, you seem in complete misery with the Hawks. Why do you put yourself through it?

You're right. Never is a strong word. But, you would assume by seeing some of the ill-advised shots he takes, that Woody has given him the "red light" at some point. You would think there were some restrictions in place, I just don't see it. He has the green light whenever he wants.

What's this about? What about X Box Live?