Wurider05

Hawks center Zaza Pachulia is currently playing with the Georgian national team in the EuroBasket qualifier tournament — a berth in next summer's Olympic games in Beijing on the line. The Olympics may be a long shot, but he has a "good feeling" about the Hawks' chances to end a playoff-drought this season. Your Turn Do you have enough confidence in the Hawks to predict that they'll reach the playoffs next season? Yes. No. Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results RELATED STORIES * 'They know what I bring' * Ex-comic book designer gives Hawks a new look * Former NBA coach van Breda Kolff dies More Hawks coverage Pachulia spoke with AJC Hawks beat writer Sekou Smith by phone from Luxembourg. Q. It's so easy to lose track of international players when the NBA season ends because so many of you guys head overseas to spend time with family and train with your respective national teams. But you were spotted at Philips Arena working out several times before and after the draft. What was that all about? A. In June and July, I was working with my personal coach [from back home] in the states. At the end of July, I joined the national team and began working hard with them. And until now we've had training camp in France and we played a couple of tournaments to prepare us for what we're going to go through now. But it wasn't any different from the type of work I always put in during the offseason. This is when you do most of your really hard work to prepare for the regular season. Q. You mentioned competitions, how did you play? A. My last tournament in Bulgaria, I had 21, 39 and 37 [points], so you tell me how did I play [laughing]. Seriously, I really worked hard this summer, and I really took it up to another level in July. I used the tournament games to show myself what I needed to get better at and tune my game up. We're playing against good teams, so this is a really good experience for me because I'm getting ready for our [Hawks] training camp. So make sure Coach [Mike Woodson] knows I'll be ready for training camp. Q. So much has been made about the Hawks' deficiencies at center the past few years, and the fact that they haven't gone out and found another one to add to the rotation. Do you think you're capable of stepping up and filling that void now? A. Look, they know what I'm doing. They know me. I've been there two years, so they know what I bring. My main thing is to just keep getting better. I'm ready to step up. Of course, I'm ready. And I'm looking forward to playing some playoff games this year for sure. I feel pretty good about myself right now, and I feel really good about the team we have coming back. Q. Playoffs? People reading this will assume that there was lots of good wine at that team dinner. Do you seriously think this team is ready for the playoffs with all the improvements other teams in the Eastern Conference have made in the offseason? A. We know nothing is going to be easy. And we realize that everybody is trying to get better. I think our strength is the same thing that most people think is our weakness, and that's that we're a young team that is constantly improving. I think that's the one thing that separates us from some of these other teams, we're not going to be adding major pieces that we all have to adjust to. It's basically the same group of guys and we're all going to be a year older and more experienced, and better than we were last year. Q. This core group of players has been together for two years now. How long does it take for the chemistry to finally come together for this team and starting showing itself on the floor? A. It definitely helps to have those years together. I think the time is right now. We're of a good age. We don't have to wait until we're 30, and really, we can't wait. Time so goes fast. ... It's already my fifth year in the league. It's time for the team to have some success. I know everybody else wants to feel the playoff excitement. A lot of guys don't want to miss out on that feeling anymore. This age we are right now, with most of the guys 21, 22, 23 years old and up, it's the time to start the prime of your career. There shouldn't be any excuses. Q. You had a rough time last season, losing your starting spot for a while before regaining it again near the end of the season. That had to be a blow to your ego after playing so well your first year with the Hawks. How did that shape your focus in terms of the way you attacked your offseason training regimen? A. I wanted to work on my defense and work on my defensive rebounding in addition to continuing to work on my overall game. I'm pretty strong. I may not have big muscles like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but I'm a strong guy. But my strength and my defense is where I needed the work most, because there's a battle inside that three-second area every night and you have to be ready. I also had a conversation with Coach Woodson, and he told me what I needed to work on, and I was thinking the same way, so we're on the page. Now it's up to me to make sure the work is done and that I'm ready to go when we start training camp. Q. Who is the one player you're eager to see on that first day of camp, the guy you think people should look to provide a spark for this team that he didn't provide last year? A. I think we should expect more from Speedy [Claxton], because the injury he had last year robbed him of his opportunity to show people what he could do. Really, Marvin [Williams] is the same way. He had that injury early, and when that happens you spend the rest of the time trying to get back to speed within yourself, not to mention with your teammates. So I'm expecting big things from both of those guys. I know Josh Smith is working hard in Houston and is going to be better than he was. And Joe [Johnson] is always working. But really, it has to come from everybody. ... That's how success comes. Q. You sound so much more confident than you did last season, particularly when you were going through your own struggles. You have a good feeling about this season don't you, like you know something the rest of us don't know? A. I do. I have this feeling that this is going to be a big year. I have a feeling that we [the Georgian national team] are going to win all four games and qualify for the European championships. And I have feeling that we [the Hawks] are going to make the playoffs. I just know the hard work that has gone into all this and how much we, as a team, want it. I wish I could give you a better answer [as to why I feel that way], but I don't have the right words for it. I can't tell you why I feel that way. I just do. Sponsored Links

Donaghy is snitching out his comrades in an effort to look out for himself. I can respect that.

With the unfortunate Vick incident facing the Falcons and the Braves not being able to add more pitching, the time is now for the Hawks to step up and shine. I don't see the falcons being the big attraction without Mike Vick, because say what you want to about him, he is one of the few athletes in the world that people pay to see regardless of how well the team is performing. I support all the Atlanta teams but most don't. Have you guys ever been to a Hawks game when we played the Knicks; I actually had to make sure that I wasn't in New york with evryone cheering for the Knicks. This season is very, very big for the Hawks as well as the Thrashers. Atlanta is a band wagon city, most folks don't jump on until the team is winning. Now is the time. If it means getting rid of Woody then get rid of him if it means starting Chillz over Marvin, then so be it, if it means throwing Smoove in at center then so be it. We have got to go for broke this year, we have nothing to lose but the chains of futility that bind us and losing. Remember to eat breakfast and to eat hearty for tonight we dine in hell!!!!

Serves them right. I have been saying for years that they were giving certain players or teams special treatment. Commentators and fans seem to accept that that was simply the way it was. A foul is a foul no matter if it is committed by Lebron James or Royal Ivey.

Matt Chernoff comes across as a mean spirited self asorbant [censored]. I literally can't stand that guy. He is so arrogant and probably has never played organized sports in his life. I truly hate that guy.

Can anyone tell me what happened to Chuck Smith on Monsters of the Midday? He is no longer on the show and he is no longer on their website. All of this happened out of the blue.

I think that it serves the NBA right. Every since I was a child whether it was Magic, Bird of Jordan, refs called different games for different people. Anybody remember how many times Wade went to the line in the Finals a few years back. You better not even try to play tough man on man defense against Lebron, Kobe, or Wade. I am sorry but a foul is a foul, a travel is a travel. A lot of people think that it is okay when its their guys getting the whistle. It doesn't matter if it is 5 seconds left in a game a foul is still a foul. This protecting the superstars way of calling games goes after the very integrity of the sport. A rookie should get the same calls that a 10 vet get. People wonder why we get out asses handed to us in international play. The superstars get no favortism there. A Game should be called straight down the middle.

Quote: Its a shame to see Jay Williams career end on one night like that. To me he is put in this category for wasting all of his talent. I wish grant and penny would have been the stars of the league more than they were. They were both class acts unlike some of the stars in the league now. I think that Jay gets too much credit. He was on his way to being a bust anyway. That accident just took him out sooner. HE wasn't a very good player in the NBA.

I was thinking about Isiah Rider the other day and I remember I happy I was when he came to the Hawks. We all know how it ended but more than that I find it sad how someone with so much talent let it go to waste just because he was a jerk. I mean that dude was a phenomenal basketball player on both ends of he floor but he just could not get his head together and get rid of that thug mentality. who else comes to mind in terms of wasted talent in the league?

Okay fellas it is time to coin Law's and Horford nicknames. We have to give Marvin one as well.

Here are some of the BK quotes that is usually associated with something bad about to happen. 1. "We Like him". 2. "We Like him, too." 3. "He plays bigger than his size" I won't hog all of the BKISMS for myself. Let's see how many we can come up with!!

Quote: You will see the same thing for Al Horford... The point is... The same defense that didn't translate for Shelden won't translate for Horford. For the same reason. They both made a living being good defenders against lesser players and were shown up against good players. The NBA is filled with good players. One thing that you do notice is that in a majority of the games, Shelden put up more than 20 points. We don't see that with Horford. That was a very good point.

Quote: I didn't realize the Hawks needed another old, worn out PG who doesn't play any defense. They've already got Tyronne Lue and Anthony Johnson. Speedy plays D, but fits the other categories. DAMN!!!!

I agree Diesel I think that the thngs we drafted him for are the things that he wasn't really known for. Shelden had a reputation as a defensive big guy hence the name "Landlord" and he had the statistics to back up the name. I just haven't seen where Horford was feared like Shelden was. I said it before and I will say it again. I like Horford and I hope that he does well but I just don't see him giving us what we need. What if he doesn't beat out Williams and ZaZa for the starting spot. Then what? Don't forget the ZaZa is improving as well.

He was trying to save his job by riding Joe like a horse.

Quote: I have trouble respecting the opinion of someone who lists Marvin at PF and Smith at SF...simply because he knows less about the Hawks than I do. You are absolutely right. [censored]!! Marvin is a SF and Josh is PF. Do they even look at the games or do they figure that no one gives a [censored] about the Hawks.

Why draft a guy to play another position. What if shelden comes back a beast like the way he finished the season. We should have drafted Yi. With all the crap about Shelden on this board you guys got to remember that he was only a rookie last season and that he was injured a good portion of the season. If he comes back a beast then we [censored] up the 3rd pick this year. No matter how NBA ready someone is made out to be you still have to learn. And how much of his development was held back by Woody. You can't learn unless you are in the game. Drafting Horford to play out of position is stupid. What if he can't play center just like Joe couldn't play point, Josh Smith couldn't play the 2. What the hell is going on here!! I will state that BK had never been wrong on talent and his talent always progresses steadily. Look at CHillz, Smoove, and Marvin. Each one has gotten better each year they have been in the league. SO why do you guys think that Shelden will be any different. I am not saying that Yi would have been a 25 ppg scorer but his upside potential coupled with the fact he can shoot the rock would have made us that much better considering the slashers that we have on this team. He could have spread that floor for us. I know that he is a forward but how many forwards have the skills that he has and could create the matchup problems. He could have played coming off the bench SF, PF, and Center. Matchup possibilities could have been endless. I like Horford but he was the wrong pick for us and if Shelden improves his game like the others did we will have an additional glut of similiar players with the addition of Horford. Remember Shelden was a better college player statistically than Horford. As a Hawks fan I hope that they both are beasts next season but somebody will ride the pine more often than not. I am not going to constantly run Horford into the ground like people do Marvin. I just can't see how this is going to work out.

Quote: Word is Isiah is mulling over a Lee trade for Artest. The only way I can see that happening is Lee/James for Artest. If they do that: Marbury/Artest/Jeffries/Randolph/Curry... That's a scary big squad. If that trade goes through they will self destruct internally.

He will get exposed in college.

Quote: Quote: I thought on talent alone we were top 8 before we drafted Law and Horford. There are teams with one or two stars but with severe dropoffs afterwards. From top to bottom we have a longer list of talented players but might lack potency at the top. Teams like Washington, Cleveland, Boston (use to be), Indiana and Orlando are heavily based on the production of one key player (Arenas, Lebron, PP, JO and Howard). None of those teams have 6-7 players as talented as JJ, Smith, Marvin, Horford, Law and Childress. If Marvin continues to grow and Smith makes improvements here and there then we could make some noise. If Law and Horford's game translates at least somewhat well to the NBA then we could be REALLY dangerous. Cleveland made the NBA finals with one player, IMO. Outside of Lebron, their roster is pathetic, IMO. We don't have a Lebron obviously but we have A LOT they don't. This team is the worst team in the NBA still, there's no reason you wishful think everything else, Everyone gotten better including the Hawks. Here my take. The Hawks still need some major things in order to be sucessful. I think they need Camby, if the Hawks can trade Zaza and Josh Smith for Camby and a future 1st that would give this team a talented vet at Center and it would ensure that the offense flows and that would raise the level of this team to higher heights then ever this decade. I like this squad PG: AJ, Law, Speedy SG: JJ, Chillz SF: Marvin, Chillz PF: Horford, Soloman C: Camby, Shelden, Wright. With chemistry, the playoffs is likely in 2009. It's just too much to give Smith and Zaza for, but we need a pick for 2008. Indy has Dunleavy, Diogu, Granger, and O'Neal who better then anyone on the Hawks, not to mention they has average chemistry which is better then the Hawks. Wizards, Cavs, and Orl are alot better then Hawks. Orl needs to make a good signing this off season though, still better then the Hawks. Boston with the addition of Ray Ray and PP are much better then what the Hawks have. Gooden, Big Z, and Boobie are not patheic, Josh Smith is. Once again your going by highlights and ESPN logic. No wonder why your still a fan, you wishful think everything that's you don't see. You rarely watch the other teams in the league outside of the Hawks right. Smoove, Zaza for Camby man are you smoking crack. That has got to be the most onsideest trade ever. Camby is like 13 years older than both of those guys and he is injury plaqued. Damn !!!

AS of June 30, 2007, where do we rank in terms of talent in the eastern conference as a whole team.

Quote: He's great, and he'll be an All Star for years to come... but that doesn't always translate into championships. Look at Ewing or Mourning (before he became a backup) for proof. Can't miss centers can get you to the party, but you better have a great complimentary player to put you over the top. Maybe Roy or Aldridge is that guy, maybe not. Who knows at this point? They would not have won the championship if it wasn't for Zo's defense. Shaq couldn't guard a chair.

They are already putting him in the hall of fame and giving him multiple championships.

Quote: I think that was way to much to give up for Amare. Why does everyone want to rape the Hawks for our young players. I find it interesting that we were the youngest team in the NBA. We have the talent, we can stay good for a long time if we play it right. That is very true. We do have talent on this team and other teams realize it but too bad some of us so called fans don't.

According Vescey we would have had to give up the 2 picks, Lue, and Marvin Williams. I agree with whoever vetoed the trade we are simply giving up too much.