TheNorthCydeRises

I wasn't in this "camp" before tonight, but I believe . . . he must go. Just have to break he and Horford up, to see if Horford can really make that leap to the next level as a PF. If we don't get that "guy" in free agency, Al will have to be thrust into the lead, and see if he can elevate his game. Then we need to go out and get at least a serviceable center . . . a guy who is at least better than Zaza. But it's definitely time to break the Horford - Smith duo up. I'd be highly disappointed if Ferry brought him back.

JJ has been less than 100% for about 1/2 of this season too. All I know is that it would've been real nice to see a JJ - Deron backcourt 5 years ago, when both players were in their prime. My overall point is that JJ was the closest guy we've had since Nique, to being that "scorer at will" type of player. But even he didn't have that mentality to jack up 25 shots if need be, to win a game on a nightly basis. People used to call him selfish, but to me, he wasn't selfish enough as a scorer. There were too many times in which JJ passed the ball to a wide open shooter ( who couldn't shoot the ball ). Guys who have that "score at will" quality, don't mind one bit jacking up 25 shots ( touch shots ), whether they're hot or not. They take it upon themselves on a nightly basis to have the game decided on their shots. What the Hawks need, is an offensive "Alpha Dog". A guy who doesn't mind one bit for a game to be decided in his hands. But he also must be capable of being able to deliver wins, while playing that Alpha Dog role. JJ never had the Alpha Dog mentality, even if he had to play that role at times. Nate Robinson DOES have the Alpha Dog mentality, but you don't want Nate in that role. The Hawks are going to have to find somebody who is good, but is much maligned to the point that their current team will part with them. A guy who can be that Alpha Dog, by creating and making a wide variety of shots.

Never said it was or wasn't a fair comparison. But let's not act like there isn't usually a difference in talent from a guy that is picked 3rd, to a guy who is picked 10th. 3rd pick in the draft, since 2001 - Pau Gasol ( 4 time All-Star Center ) - Mike Dunleavy ( Starter/6th man - Swingman ) - Carmelo Anthony ( Superstar - 6 time All-Star Swingman ) - Ben Gordon ( Starter/6th man - Guard ) - Deron Williams ( 3 time All-Star Point Guard ) - Adam Morrison ( Scrub - 161 total games - out the league ) - Al Horford ( 2 time All-Star Center ) - OJ Mayo ( Starter/6th Man - Guard ) - James Harden ( 1 time All-Star Guard ) - Derrick Favors ( Bench - Forward ) - Enes Kanter ( Bench - Center ) - Bradley Beal ( Starter - Guard ) 10th pick in the draft, since 2003 - Joe Johnson ( 6 time All-Star Swingman ) - Caron Butler ( Starter/6th man - Swingman ) - Jarvis Hayes ( Bench - 7yr career - out the league ) - Luke Jackson ( Scrub - 73 total career games ) - Saer Sene ( "Walter's boy" - Scrub - 47 total games - out the league ) - Andrew Bynum ( 1 time All-Star Center ) - Spencer Hawes ( Starter/Bench - Center ) - Brook Lopez ( 1 time All-Star Center ) - Brandon Jennings ( Starter - Point Guard ) - Paul George ( 1 time All-Star Swingman ) - Jimmer Fredette ( Bench - Guard ) - Austin Rivers ( Bench - Guard ) There's definitely a difference in talent between being picked 3rd, and being picked 10th. Most of the guys who are being picked 10th are either solid players, or just coming into their own as All-Star caliber players. Most of the guys picked 3rd, were starters from Day 1, with Melo being a superstar and Deron being on that borderline of one. James Harden looks to be the next in line ( if he can get some more help, especially in the backcourt ). So if we were to field a team between the 3rd and 10th picks, it would be PG - Deron vs Jennings G - Harden vs Johnson F - Melo vs George PF - Horford vs Lopez C - Gasol vs Bynum But the game would be lost by that 10th pick team, when they went to the benches.

LOL . . and Harden was a top 3 pick, who had a season on par with the likes of Kobe and Wade. Put a competent PG beside Harden, and that dude will really blossom into a very nice player.

JJ was every bit as good as I said he was. It's just that you guys always envisoned him as a guy who failed to be a superstar. I KNEW he was a guy who couldn't be a superstar, but always acknowledged that he was an above average player who never had that 2nd guy to play with, like most other superstars. No top 15 PG during his prime years in ATL. No low post big man that had a good enough post game that could keep JJ from being double teamed, even triple teamed at times.. Let's keep it real. The most "big time" player JJ ever played with in ATL, was Jamal Crawford ( as much as it pains me to say that ). When that is the case, it is fairly easy for good defensive teams to lock right in on him, and make his life a living hell. He was definitely feast or famine come playoff time. He wasn't a superstar player who could go to that next level as a scorer, when we needed him the most. But the fact still stands that he was the closest we had to that, since the days of Dominique Wilkins. But dang, even Nique had Rivers . . and even Steve Smith had Mookie. JJ had a spot up shooting Mike Bibby and a young Jeff Teague. Only when he and Jamal had it going, that you saw the potential for the Hawks to really be a high scoring and potent team.

His lack of aggressiveness and confidence are the reasons why he won't progress to be a top 10 PG. The difference between he and Mike Conley is light years these days.

Like it or not, Joe Johnson was that guy for 5 of the 7 years he was in ATL. In those years, he was always in or near the top 10 in scoring. And he's been the closest thing to a big time scorer we've had since Dominique. The fact is that those types of players simply aren't easy to find. What may be easier to find, are two guys who can somewhat light it up on a nightly basis, with one of them having the capability of going for a big game at any time. Even with that, you'll need guys who can get timely buckets in other areas of the court. When they both had it going, JJ and Jamal were a pretty good 1 - 2 punch we could throw at times, while Smith and Horford provided good complimentary scoring. If you can't get that one guy who can do it all the time, it's best to have 2 guys who can do it some of the time.

You ever think to ask yourself that if the Hawks get bounced in the 1st round, how does that make Atlanta appealing to any prospective big time free agent? You think people are breaking down doors to play with Al Horford and Lou Williams? Because that's about all we'll have left in the offseason. There is a much higher chance that the Hawks re-sign Josh, than a big time free agent choosing Atlanta to play for. You know that, right?

Oh well . . . cease-fire over. Damn Josh.

And Indiana can't win in Atlanta. But we don't have the home court . . so . . . Paul George needs to "tweak" his ankle at some point during Game 6 or 7, and be out for the rest of the series

4 - 22 on the road . . 18 double digit losses . . . 14 by 15+ points . . . 10 by 20+ points . . and about 2 or 3 games by 30+ points That's a hell of a stat line. LOL . . so we have an 85% chance of losing a playoff road game . . . and a 38% chance of losing by 20+ points in a playoff road game? Damn. Margin of losing in games in which the Hawks were eliminated from the playoffs 2008 @ Boston - 34 pts 2009 @ Cleveland - 10 pts 2010 vs Orlando - 14 pts 2011 vs Chicago - 20 pts 2012 @ Boston - 3 pts Average margin of defeat - 16.2 pts Damn. Let's hope if they do crash and burn, that it will be in Indy on Sunday night, than at Philips on Friday night. They need to show some heart though, and take these next two.

In the 4 playoff road wins we've had since 2008, it was either great defense that won it for us ( Game 4 @ Miami - 2009 . . Game 6 @ Milwaukee - 2010 ) . . . or a superstar effort by JJ that won it for us ( Game 1 @ Orlando - 2011 . . . Game 1 @ Chicago - 2011 ) So the question is . . . if we win Game 6, are we capable of holding the Pacers to sub 80 points at home . . . or is someone on the Hawks capable of having a monster game on the road? ( a 25+ point type of game in which he makes big shots in the 4th quarter ).

And why the Rockets ( with James Harden playing like Stephen Curry tonight ) can go into OKC in an elimination game, and beat them.

The teams that are good on the road either have a superstar that can carry the whole team on his back, or is a team that loves being the "villian ".Which is why Boston can go into MSG in an elimination game, and pull out a win. They absolutely love being the villian.

Ivan Johnson. Watch him the next time he shoots a FT. You know who's teaching them that, right? Nick Van Exel. He stood even further back than what Josh and Ivan do. It prevented him from shooting most of his FTs long. I guess that is the case for Josh and Ivan.

Bad sequence . . . Teague drives and passes to Petro . . who bricks the baby hook. Then they go the other way and knock down a 3. Highly disappointed in Horford right now. He's sleepwalking on offense, and not active enough on defense.

Dare I say that Al Horford is selling this team out right now? Yes. Ivan was the only active body on the frontline, when he was in the game.

LOL . . . the 3 sides of Josh - bricked a 3 - got a great steal on the other end - but kept the ball on the fast break and threw it to the bench Yeah Josh.

Up until this year, Josh's most efficient position was normally at CENTER, if you use 82games.com as a reference.

Gray . . . if Atlanta has a chance to get CP3 and Howard, I don't want to hear ANYTHING coming from the Hawks organization talking about the Luxury Tax. Teams that are serious about winning, routinely go into the Luxury Tax, to assemble the best team possible. Honestly, you don't even ask CP3 and Howard to take less to come to Atlanta . . a franchise that NEVER gets anybody of significance via free agency. You sell off the entire team and break the bank, if you can lock up Paul and Howard for the next 4 years. You don't even play around like that. Having said all of this, we probably have a better chance of seeing Al Horford going off for 43 points tonight, than the Hawks landing Paul and Howard.

Or something like . . . PG - Paul G - Tony Allen ( MLE contract ) . . overpay to get him. More important than adding Korver F - Matt Barnes ( LLE contract ) . . vet guy who can still defend and shoot on occasion PF - Horford C - Howard 6th - Lou 7th - Ivan 8th - Scott 9th - Jenkins 10th - ( defensive/rebounding center ) . . Samuel Dalembert 11th - ( defensive/spot up shooter ) . . Tim Hardaway Jr ( 1st round pick ) 12th - ( defensive/spot up shooter ) . . Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ( 1st round pick ) That's a squad I can DEFINITELY roll with.

And we can't sign CP3 and Dwight together, without letting go of EVERYBODY. That includes Smith, Teague, Korver, Zaza . . . everybody who does not have a contract for next season. Guys like Ivan and Scott can be re-signed on the cheap. But once we add CP3 and Howard, we'll be limited to the MLE, LLE, and vet and rookie level contracts to round out the roster.

Miami has also been to 2 NBA Finals, won 1, and is the heavy favorite to win another this year. Bench, smench. Superstars win championships. PG - Paul G - ( defensive/spot up shooter ) . . Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ( 1st round pick ) F - ( defensive/spot up shooter ) . . Tim Hardaway Jr ( 1st round pick ) PF - Horford C - Howard 6th - Lou 7th - Ivan 8th - Jenkins 9th - Scott 10th - ( defensive/rebounding center ) . . Samuel Dalembert If that's our team in the very improbable senario that we land both Paul and Dwight, I could definitely live with that. Maybe pick up a vet PG and a defensive SF to round out the team, in case the rookies and young guys aren't ready to expand their roles.

Too bad JJ didn't demand the ball ENOUGH, and willingly deferred to less talented players . . . sometimes in critical times. There were times in which he should've been looking to shoot the ball, or put the game on his shoulders, but he didn't do it. Very rarely did JJ take 25+ shots in a game, like most MAX players routinely do to carry their teams. Guys like Melo and Kobe have no problem jacking up 30 shots if need be, if it meant their team winning a game. That's not JJ's mentality. I think Smith HAS MAX player mentality, just not the offensive game to warrant him being the lead guy offensively. And that's why we can't pay him the MAX. If he's getting paid the most, he's not going to defer to anyone. And I still say that the departure of Smith, may take a guy like Horford to another level, by giving him increased responsibility offensively. I relate it to how Golden St parted with Monta Ellis, so that they could see the full potential of Stephen Curry . . . and get the right type of guard to play alongside him. That's what I see in Horford. Get the right type of center to play alongside him, while increasing Horford's role in the offense, and we might see Horford blossom into the best PF in the East.

The reason why we've never been out of the 2nd round, is because we've only had about 5 or 6 teams ( on paper ) in the last 40 years that were even good enough to get out of the 2nd round. And the one time we were the #1 seed in the East, we made the Dominque trade 2 months before the end of the season, essentially killing any chance of having a "superstar" come playoff time to carry the team. We're usually getting knocked out of the playoffs by the #1 or #2 seed. Last season was one of the rare times in which we lost to an inferior team in the playoffs. Still . . . the issue in Atlanta is more about the passion for basketball in general, rather than us losing to superior teams in the playoffs. The fans prove they can turn it on for a few games during the playoffs, so why can't the type of crowds we see during this time, show up during the regular season?