TheNorthCydeRises

The bench are who they are. And that's why Woody has had tight reigns on them all year. They're not good enough to be trusted with a set amount of minutes every night. Only Crawford is good enough to be trusted like that. And even his time can and will be cut, if we can get good play out of Marvin and Bibby.

I'm old enough to have watched a lot of games in those eras, and I don't agree. Overall, that era is better than this one. But when you start talking about individual teams, I definitely don't agree. This year, you don't have one or two dominant teams like in years past, so the field is stacked closer together. But to say that the top level teams of today, couldn't beat one of the 2nd level teams in the past, is flat out disrespecting the greatness of guys like Kobe, Lebron, and Tim Duncan.

Soth . . that's complete BS. Because you're assuming that these current crop of players aren't good enough to adjust their style of play, to fit the style of play in the past. Nobody is stopping Kobe or Lebron James . . in ANY ERA. The Celtics Big 3 of 3 years ago could've won a title in ANY ERA. The big difference with the teams in the past, is that you didn't have 5 to 7 extra teams in the league that further dispersed the talent in the league. But the top level teams all have enough talent across the board to win back in the 80s and 90s. So basically, what you're saying is that the 1987 - 88 Hawk team that lost to Boston, would be a favorite to win an NBA title in this era? That team won 50 games back then. In this era, they may win 55 games tops ( which is a number that some people though this team should've won ). That team isn't going to dominate this era of basketball or be a favorite over the Lakers or Orlando to win a title. I'll give you that those elite teams that didn't win titles during the Bird - Magic - Jordan eras would win titles in this era. Guys like Drexler in Portland, Payton in Seattle, and Malone in Utah would win titles in this era. But don't act like all of those other 2nd tier teams were head and shoulders over the teams in this era. And there's no way a team like ours would only win 40 games back in the 80s or 90s.

Having said all of that . . . I do agree with Exodus. LOL . . we've only won 2 playoff games. Two games we SHOULD'VE WON. And it is to be expected for Smoove and Horford to have great numbers vs the Bucks frontline ( or lack therof ). LOL . . some of you guys just go to the extremes with how this team is characterized. Let us lose Game 3, and I'm sure we'll see negative posts come out the woodwork about how sorry this team is.

Keep in mind what this is partially about. It's partially about not giving Woody any ounce of credit for the success of the team. So for the people who truly dislike Woodson, he has to do something that no one else hasn't done in the history of the franchise since it's been in Atlanta, in order to justify his return in their eyes. When you look at the Hawks from an offensive and defensive rating standpoint, the 2009 - 2010 Hawks are most similar to the 1987 - 1988 Hawks ( the most successful postseason Hawk team in Atlanta ) that took Boston to 7 games. And they pretty much shared the same qualities that this current crop of Hawks possess. The 2009 - 10 team is definitely one of the best in franchise history . . with the 1986 - 87 squad being the best ( even though they kind of choked in the playoffs ). That's why I've constantly made it a priority to say this, ever since we got off to that great start. If they get to the EC Finals, then they'll definitely be the best team in Atlanta Hawks history. 10 years from now, history is going to look back on this era of basketball, and say "damn . . . there were a LOT of good players and teams during this time " - Duncan, Parker, Ginobli and the Spurs - Kobe and the Lakers - Lebron and the Cavs - Steve Nash/Amare Stoudemire and the Suns - Deron Williams and the Jazz - Dirk, Jason Kidd and the Mavs - Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups and the Nuggets - Dwight Howard, Vince Carter and the Magic - Pierce, Garnett, Ray Allen and the Celtics Those 9 teams can play in any era of basketball and excel. You may have to add a tough role player or two in order to make the team tougher, but those teams wouldn't have had much problem playing back in the 80s and 90s. And of the names that I posted, only maybe Vince Carter and GInobli may not be Hall of Famers when it's all said and done. And Ginobli may even make it in, based on his prowess as an international player. It's natural to downgrade the current era that we're watching, because most of us will always believe that the game in previous eras was better. Truth is, those teams would've had MAJOR PROBLEMS stopping a Lebron James . . or dealing with a 7 footer that could shoot like Dirk Nowitzki . . or a guy like Melo who is a Dominique-esque type scorer . . or the pick and roll of Nash and Amare ( which is comparable to Stockton and Malone ) . . or a Jordan-lite scorer like Kobe.

It's funny how perception doesn't necessarily indicate how good a team really was. Run TMC never won more than 45 games in a season ( matter of fact, Mullin - Hardaway - Richmond only had one winning season together in 3 years ), and was pretty much a 3 man team overall. It wasn't until the Warriors acquired Billy Owens for Mitch Richmond, and Sarunas Marciulonis flourished as the super 6th man, that the Warriors had a very successful season. Yeah . . RUN TMC were exciting to watch, and had the cool nickname . . but so are the 2010 version of Golden St.

This thread simply proves that he simply says things just for attention. Which is too bad, because he at least follows the league and knows somewhat of what it is all about. But when he says flat out silly stuff, you just can't take the dude serious. And on top of that, he tries to hype up the very dude he's been ripping all year, even when he plays well. It's almost like . . "tabloid blogging" And we all help feed the monster. When he posts, we can't help to respond, which keeps the cycle going.

I'll say what I said before this series started. If the Hawks can't close them out in 4 or 5 games . . the series will probably go 7 games. Unless they play a great defensive game, they probably won't win a Game 6 in Milwaukee. I can't imagine the Hawks sweeping the Bucks. Game 3 will be a madhouse in Milwaukee on Saturday night. But if they do sweep the Bucks . . . watch out for this team come the 2nd round.

Nine . . would the same ring true the opposite way? If the owners are "rich", and money shouldn't matter, would it be ungrateful of them to NOT pay JJ whatever amount of money the marketplace says he's worth? It the Bulls offered JJ a 5 yr - 90 mill deal . . . but JJ wanted a 6 yr - 100 mill deal from the Hawks, should Hawks ownership let him walk?

The contradiction is that MVP wants no part of bringing JJ back to Atlanta . . . but for us to get to the NBA Finals, the very guy he doesn't like ( JJ ) is going to have to play like a superstar for us to get there. Which means that he'll be retained at all costs. LOL . . . and he wonders why he gets all of those negative ratings. I'm going to give him a +1 out of sympathy, so his negative rating won't be so bad.

Woody still employing the switching defense in the 1st half of that game. Jennings trying to do exactly what Skiles said, but Horford is making life extremely difficult for him. Jennings scored on JJ a few times, and scored on Teague two or three times, but Horford makes life extremely difficult for him whenever he takes the ball to the rim. If Jennings misses, no one is there to get the rebound. Having said that, Jennings is the only one ballin' on that team right now. He's the only one not playing scared. Meanwhile, Salmons looks shell-shocked.

Because if they would've lost, it'll simply caused a little more fan apathy toward the Hawks ( even though it was a meaningless game position wise ). At least now, the fans go into the playoffs on a positive note, and they got to see a great performance from Teague. Him putting on a show like that, was probably the best case scenario for the Hawks last night. The only thing that would've been better, would've been for Marvin to score 40 points or something.

Exactly. People have been tearing down JJ and Woody all year. You're more likely to see an Easter basket with plane tickets in it, than to see Hawks fans do something like that.

WE have to win the series in 5 games. Otherwise, it's going 7. I don't think we can win a Game 6 in Milwaukee, with them facing elimination on their home court. We need to take care of business in those first 2 games, then probably win Game 4 in Milwaukee. . to set up an elimination Game 5 on our home floor. So I'll say that we'll win it in 5 games.

Totally agree. This isn't like the difference between picking 3rd and picking 6th . . . or even picking 13th and picking 16th. When you start picking outside of the lottery, and especially outside of the top 20, you'll find almost all marginal role players . . with very few "diamonds" amongst the group. I would much rather see the reserves put on a great show and win the game for the fans in attendance tonight . . than for them to lose the game, just to improve our draft position.

I hope you're right, but I doubt that. The criticisms are flying left and right after every loss and "not so pretty win" . . like the Hawks are supposed to play perfect basketball 82 nights a year. But after a nice win, you could hear a tumbleweed roll past. Not see . . but HEAR. All I know is that people can count on maybe 1 hand the amount of previous Hawks teams that were better than this one. And the past DOES MATTER. When you have a team in which even getting to the playoffs is a major hurdle, a playoff team with 50+ wins deserves a little more respect. And so does the man that's coaching that team. The coach didn't do all of this by himself . . and neither did the players. It is what it is though.

I kinda feel sorry for guys like DJ and the others that have constantly complained about this team all year. This is our best season in 12 years. Our highest playoff seeding in about 16 years. 2 All-Star players. A future 6 man of the Year award winner. A team that is easily a top 10 . . possibly a top 7 squad in the NBA. But he finds something negative to complain about . . . I don't know what to say. I just feel sorry for fans like these. Regardless of what happens in the playoffs, they really missed out on one of the most enjoyable and entertaining Hawk seasons ever. - 4 memorable buzzer beaters ( including 2 dunk buzzer beaters . . which is unheard of ) - the dismantling of the Boston Celtics - the 11 - 2 start, which got us off and running - beating Orlando, San Antonio, and the LA Lakers at home ( and all within a 10 day period ) - posting a stellar 21 - 9 record vs the Western Conference - posting a winning record vs .500 teams in God knows how long - 33 home wins ( shooting for 34 tonight ) . . if they win tonight, I believe that will be the 2nd or 3rd most home wins in franchise history . . and a win tonight will tie the 2-year home record of 65 wins, set back from 1986 - 88 I just feel kind of sorry for you guys that you refused to let yourselves enjoy this season. Always letting the negative points of the team or the bad losses, take away from your joy. But overall, these guys put a smile on our faces far more than they made you frown. AND IT AIN'T OVER FOLKS!!!

Damn near DEAD ON . . with everything I said: - I wanted JJ to return to his 2005 shooting levels, and he damn near did . . currently shooting 46% FG and 37% 3FG - Said that if Smoove limited his jumpshooting, he'd become a 50%+ FG shooter . . . he's currently shooting 50.5% FG - Asked if Woody could reduce some of Crawford's well known deficiencies on the defensive end . . . and I'll have to say that he did, even if Crawford still isn't an above average defender. - predicted a 51 - 31 record . . . we're currently at 52 - 29

Exactly. Hopefully the word will get out around the league that we're going to match ANY OFFER for Horford. But the Hawks, depending on the new collective bargaining agreement that expires in 2011, may catch a break and not have to shell out big money for Horford. No telling what the owners and the players will squabble over, which may cause a strike, or a reduction in salaries for up and coming free agents.

What do their shooting percentages have to do with how often they get to the FT line? Jamal finishes at a higher rate at the rim than JJ. I already knew that. But Jamal doesn't draw the vast majority of his fouls going to the rim. He draws them off of his jumpshot. Wrong. JJ attempts 3.6 shots per game at the rim out of 18.3 shots ( or 19.7% ) . . . and 3.5 shots per game within 10 feet ( which is the floater ). That means of the 18.3 shots per game that JJ takes, 7.1 of those shots are within 10 feet of the basket ( or 39% of his shots ) http://www.hoopdata.com/player.aspx?name=Joe%20Johnson Crawford attempts 2.5 of his 13.9 shots per game a the rim ( or 18% ) If you add in the 1.1 shots per game he takes from within 10 feet, he takes 3.6 of his 13.9 shots per game within 10 feet ( or 26% of his shots ) http://www.hoopdata.com/player.aspx?name=Jamal%20Crawford I agree. Jamal has that down pat, and if JJ added that technique to his arsenal, he'd be a more efficient player. Although the refs could call more fouls when he gets hit trying to shoot the floater. The fadeaway jumper is an effective shot though, if mastered. It's a shot that every top scorer in the league, outside of Dwyane Wade, uses on the regular. I know how important free throws are. It's funny though. You're using this Crawford vs JJ comparison at the FT line, like Crawford is getting there a ton of times. Per 40 minutes . . . Jamal makes 4.3 FTs a game Per 40 minutes . . . JJ makes 3 FTs a game So Jamal has a 1.3 point a game advantage over JJ at the line. If this is what you want to hang your hat on, then knock yourself out. Jamal gets to the line and makes slightly more FTs than JJ. Durant is a superstar player that draws fouls at a ridiculous rate. As KG said, he gets calls like he's Michael ( bleepin ) Jordan. And the Thunder have made the 2nd most FTs in the league. Their 8th in the league defensive rating probably has a lot to do with the success of the Thunder this year. NOTE: The Hawks are 21 - 9 ( .700 winning percentage ) vs the Western Conference and has beaten EVERY TEAM IN THAT CONFERENCE, with the exception of your Oklahoma City Thunder. If the Hawks were to win at a .700 winning percentage if they played in the West, they'd post a conference record of 36 - 16 . . . which would be NUMBER ONE IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE. I've never discounted JJ's lack of getting to the free throw line. I've said on here in the past that it's really one of the only things prevented him from bringing him closer to be a superstar player. And once again, Crawford gets fouled on his jumpshot, not because he's driving to the hole all the time and getting fouled. Show me anywhere on Hawksquawk where I've discounted JJ's lack of getting to the line. Did you like the 12 - 19 FG . . . 4 - 6 3FG . . . 3 - 4 FG ( typical JJ ) . . 31 point performance tonight? Of course you didn't. JJ knows what he needs to do come playoff time. We'll see if he can answer the bell. Why you and the other guy are trying to make this a JJ vs Jamal competition, I do not know. We're going to need BOTH GUYS to be on, come playoff time . . especially in that 2nd round. If both guys do what they're supposed to do, then we're going to have a puncher's chance against Orlando or Cleveland. Instead of channeling all of that hate toward JJ, how about supporting the Hawks as a whole, and give the team, players, and coaches props . . . no matter WHO performed on a given night.

And that 33% FG for Teague is actually UP from where he had been shooting . . . in the mid 20% FG range.

Why doesn't Teague take the open shot? shooting from 16 - 23 ft: 33% . . . FG ( 14 - 42 FG ) Why wouldn't Acie take the open shot? shooting from 16 - 23 ft 2008: 67% FG . . . but only ( 4 - 6 FG ) 2009: 23% FG . . .( 9 - 40 FG )

Who looked better as a rookie . . . . Teague or Law?

And we were 0 - 4 vs the Celtics 2 years ago. There's no doubt that both Orlando and Cleveland are better than us. But we're at least winning 2 playoff games at home, if we stay healthy. Just have to keep an eye on JJ's thumb.

Exactly again. And that ended up being why I jumped off of the Salim Stoudamire bandwagon. When he got extended minutes ( especially in garbage time ), he produced at a high rate. But when you come off the bench, you need to come in making shots . . not miss 4 of your first 5, before you start warming up. Crawford can come right into a game, and make 4 out of 5, which puts tremendous pressure on the opposing team. It's a dynamic that a lot of teams don't have.