Packfill

The interesting thing is that both JJ and Bibby came from teams with good offensive movement and passing. Since they do the vast majority of the ballhandling for the Hawks, I am not sure why they don't use what they previously learned since their former teams were far more successful then the Hawks.

JJ has said stuff like this in past years but nothing usually comes out of it. Maybe this time will be different given the increased maturity of the team. I also agree with Sekou that this team has some very fundamental breakdowns. The Hawks backcourt is comprised of veterans except for Acie, who barely plays, so I would expect them to be able recognize mismatches and get the ball into the hands of players to exploit those mismatches. The team really needs to learn to win when the jump shots are not falling. Again, I expect the coach and veteran backcourt to make the necessary adjustments. Youth isn't an excuse anymore. Smoove is essential to the Hawks. He can really elevate the team when he plays well. He really needs to work on consistency. Overall, the Hawks have a great record all things considered but there are some things that cause concern over the long haul that need to be addressed.

Agree 100%. Record wise, I think the team has far exceeded expectations to date this season. There are definitely some issues to be addressed which may not have easy answers as far as the teams long term success. I just can't allow myself to get too excited yet as I remain concerned about the viability of a jump shooting team in the playoffs.

You're not suggesting that the team is lacking in basic fundamental basketball skills are you?

BK has no one except himself to blame for his poor drafting record. Those high lottery picks more then any trade are what will make or break this team.

Could McDavid have possibly been worse then the Spirit? You can't blame all of the Spirit's problems on Belkin (particularly since they agreed to partner with him initial, so that was their first mistake). The Spirit has made a host of mistakes, including retaining Billy Knight, who drafted average talent in the high lottery, and retaining Mike Woodson, a below average coach. Numerous members of their front office team have departed already. Why?

Interesting. He does sound better. I guess, it can't get worse then the current situation since the bickering and sloppiness exhibited by the Atlanta Spirit has been such a source of embarassment for the franchise - not to mention that it has contributed to the poor product on the floor.

That trade seems to make sense for each of the teams. The Wizards are awful right now so they might as well see if a young guy like Crittendon can play - he is burried too deep in Memphis. Daniels should be a decent reserve for the Hornets.

I don't think anyone, including the people who hated the Shelden pick, thought he would be as bad as he has been. I didn't like the pick but at least expected him to be a Udonis Haslem type player (obviously that does not justify using a high lottery pick on him). There is plenty of room for undersized power forwards in the league (at least in back-up roles) that it really makes you wonder why Shelden can't at least be as effective as guys like Milsap, Craig Smith, Leon Powe, Haslem, etc.

Isn't Roy older then Chris Paul?

A team has a chance to get a MVP/HOF caliber talent very rarely - expecially when you are talking about a point guard or center. Really good wings (as opposed to a great wing like MJ) can be acquired comparatively easily.

Not that he is the best coach, but Doc Rivers won coach of the year with a decidedly non-star filled roster in Orlando. He was also smart enough (or listened to someone smart enough) to hire a good assistant coach. Woody's greatest accomplishment seems to be stating the obvious after a win or loss. The team has come out flat to start a number of games this season and I think some of that has to do with the coaching staff not getting the team ready to play. There is no reason to accept mediocrity.

Isn't the real questions whether a coach like Jerry Sloan would get more out of the Hawks then Woody? Obviously a great roster will lead to wins, regardless of the coach, but some coaches are able to maximize a teams potential. The GM plays an important role in this as well as he needs to get players that fit well together, fit the system of the coach or find a coach that can work with what the team has. BK certaintly didn't do Woody any favors.

Woody is a caretaker. If the Hawks are ever going to be something special they are going to have to replace Woody or sign LBJ.

I think he deserves any criticism he gets. He has proven time and time again that he is unable to get this team to play strong team basketball. His offensive system, game management, substitutions, adjustments and ability to represent the team in a professional manner are all subpar. This team wins when it hits jump shots. Nothing too impressive about that. The record is great, don't get me wrong, but relying on jump shooting won't get you far in the playoffs as the team will ultimately cool down. This team still is in some desperate need of motion in its offensive sets and some rethinking of its defensive strategies - including the constant switching and the guards inability to stop or slowdown dribble penetration. I think he would be a very valuable assistant coach on a team that already has a strong, assertive head coach and a goof x&o guy already on staff.

If insurance does pick up 80% of the second half salary is Claxton's caphold similarly reduced? I am guessing no, which is why a trade for Claxton only works for a team needing cash, as you suggested, as opposed to cap space.

Won't the Hawks also have to resign Horford in 2010? He will be restricted which makes it easier to bring him back, but that doesn't mean it will be inexpensive. The good news is the team has two years to worry about this.

Agreed. And for the record, I would definitely trade Horford for Bynum or Biedrins. Anyone else intrigued by the two young bigs on Sactown? Thompson and Hawes.

In terms of wins and losses on the season the team is doing great right now, particularly given the injuries. I am going to reserve judgment until a little later in the season, however, on whether the team is heading in the right direction.

Thanks. I hope Acie starts turning the corner but it is still too early to tell whether he is a future starter or not. The Hawks will be in a difficult position in the off-season if Acie does not demonstrate the ability to step-up and start next season.

So Acie's "good"play was in garbage time?

I didn't see the game but have a question: People seem to be praising Acie Law's play - was it his play in the 4th quarter that was good or in general? Seems the game was out of hand by the 4th so I am just wondering if Cleveland took their foot off the accelerator at that point or whether Acie was performing well against a team still fighting for the win.

I agree. I don't know if he will every be a starter but he should be a solid big off the bench capable of 20 minutes a night.

I think we all hope it is the latter. It is still too early in the season for me to say which way things will play out.

Nice article, but what exactly are the Hawks a model of? They haven't yet had a winning season (hopefully that changes this year) so other then a few nice playoff games in a series they ultimately lost, their accomplishments are pretty thin to date. Seems premature.