Marvin coming out party tonight!!

[Admin]

We got obliterated tonight, which is understandable to a degree ... but the good news is that Marvin is showing that he can be a monster in the NBA. He is super quick with the ball in his hands and if he ever learns to finish around the rim when he drives in he could be unstoppable. I dont know how many of you got to see tonights game or even kept watching, but I kept the game on just to see Marvin and Salim.

[wartownrep]

I'm watching it and he's looking pretty good.

[Dakin]

yea he was awesome. 26 points. The kid can handle the ball and shoot no doubt about that.

[Plastic Man]

i watched the whole game on league pass. had to put up with heat commentators all game. marv got game just needs more consistent minutes and can't pick up cheap fouls early. zaza played timid.

[exodus]

Very good handles. I think the big question with Marvin will be mental. How hard is he willing to work? Is he willing to be the number 1 option?

His ball handling skills looked really good. However he isn't as strong as I thought he was earlier in the year. He can get pushed around easily and has trouble finishing after contact.

If he puts the conditioning work in and develops a post game he could be a scary scorer.

[WraithSentinel]

I don't care if it is look at as garbage time. Marvin just showed what he can and will be. Once he apply that aggressiveness. Which will only come with playing time. Marvin is going to be a very good player. Now where is the paper work to that Harrington for Nene and Watson?

[bsure]

At 19, he will get stronger. He has to realize that he's the man and that he is deferring to lesser players. Once he realizes this, the sky is the limit because he already has a strong handle, good shooting mechanics, and can finish. I see why he was the no.2 pick.

[Admin]

if I remember correctly they did the game in Atlanta as well ... whats up with that? Even our commentators dont get any respect

[Admin]

which I think is what makes a star player a superstar player (if they have the extra skills as well of course). Next year he could be very very good. I was shocked at how quick he is with the ball in his hands.

[KB21]

Well, it's still early. It's a glimpse of what we will see from him consistently in the future. He's got to gain confidence in his ability to do these things night in and night out. Plus, he's got to mature physically as well as mentally. He's still a 19 year old kid right now with a lot to learn. He's so coachable though, and at some point, it's going to click with him that he can dominate the game.

His upside is simply tremendous. You simply don't find many 6'9" players that can shoot the basketball like he can from the perimeter as well as put the ball on the floor like he can. Then, you throw in his athleticism.

The Hawks will be at their best in the future when Marvin Williams and Josh Smith are at their best, IMO.

[exodus]

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The Hawks will be at their best in the future when Marvin Williams and Josh Smith are at their best,

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Regardless of any future moves the Hawks may make, the future of this franchise is tied most heavily to these two. JJ is a baller, he will be a constant. But for the Hawks to become legit contenders these two will have to turn their potential into production.

I really think Smith has the mentality that he wants to be a big time player but he doesn't have the skills or the understanding of the game yet.

Marvin may well have the skills but I am not sure yet about the heart.

I have a feeling we will be finding out more soon. Harrington's comments in Denver, while common from typical NBA players, were uncharacteristic for him. I have a feeling he may have requested a trade. If he gets traded that will give him an opportunity to play in the playoffs and, if he does well, build up his value.

It will also mean more minutes for Marvin and the Josh's.

[Nicholasp27]

u wanted marvin to drive...well he finally did...he drove it in and took it to the basket

and he looked to drive/shoot before looking to pass, whereas he's been looking to pass immediately in other games

slim showed what he could do when we were getting blown out by no/ok; and marvin showed what he could do when we were getting blown out by miami

now if only he can use this to gain the confidence to do this when we aren't getting blown out and when al/jj are in the game, then he'll start doing much better

just like chill started off unaggressive and without confidence this year but has done much better since he's stopped deferring and playing passively, so will marvin once he decides to believe in himself fully and take his shots and drives when they come up without looking to pass on the good opportunities

[Plainview1981]

It's easy to be productive in garbage time. Have a good

game when it actually is a game.

[exodus]

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u wanted marvin to drive...well he finally did...he drove it in and took it to the basket

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I have to admit i was getting worried. After weeks of seeing him do nothing but shoot standstill jumpers and fumble the ball in the post I was wondering if he had any ball skills at all. Now at least I know he has them which

is certainly a relief.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

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It's easy to be productive in garbage time. Have a good

game when it actually is a game.

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No it's not. It's different when you have 3 minutes left in a game, and guys are just going down and jacking up shots just to be doing it.

This game tonight was essentially over by the 9 minute mark in the 3rd quarter. We were down 40 at one point. So the "garbage time" extended like 15 - 20 minutes tonight.

Because of all that time left, the "garbage time" players are coached during that time. Good coaches like Riley will continue to coach up the 2nd teamers. And I'm sure Woodson still had his head in the game, coaching up the youngsters.

To put it in perspective, Marvin NEVER looked this good during the summer league, against talent that saw 70% of them not even make an NBA squad.

He had 17 points and 6 rebounds in the 4th quarter alone.

This is the NBA man. Unless you're Shaq playing against a weak center, you just can't step out on the court, and say that you can score 15 points in a quarter, while shooting a very high percentage.

Even bench players don't liked to be showed up . . by a rookie no less.

[TheDude]

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It's easy to be productive in garbage time. Have a good

game when it actually is a game.

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then how come every player in the nba doesn't do it? i mean it's just so easy right?

[RAHMOR]

Tonight Marvin definitely seemed more confident. I was impressed with how aggressive he was and how he looked like the best player on the court even with Jsmoove and Chilz playing along side of him. Now all he has to do is play the same way when it matters.

[macdaddy]

Quote:

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Quote:

It's easy to be productive in garbage time. Have a good

game when it actually is a game.

then how come every player in the nba doesn't do it? i mean it's just so easy right?

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Because there's only one ball.

[thesheedera]

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I think the big question with Marvin will be mental. How hard is he willing to work? Is he willing to be the number 1 option?

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Exodus, I agree with you about Marvin's mental disposition, but from a bit of a different angle.

Your first question is about his willingness to work. IMO that's the last of my worries about him. I'm confident from what I've read about him over the last 3 years that he will work on his game and his body, and that in practice he will not only go through drills, but he'll "compete".

He hs an added advantage that he doesn't have the distractions that a lot of pro athletes have, not interested in hitting the strip with ladies on his arm and drinks in his hand. He's no-nonsense, and that should help him stay focused in a world of temptation.

The other question you ask is different, and I think you asked it correctly. Is he "willing" to be the number 1 option.

This gets into Diesel's question about whether or not he has the superstar mentality. I don't think you have to be a selfish egomaniac to be a dominant #1 option force in the NBA, but you have to have unlimited confidence, and you have to be willing to put the team on your back.

I think Marvin wants his team to win, and he's trying to learn where he fits into that equation early in his career. He's hesitant to jump right in and start demanding the ball, that's not who he is. He's not a guy that sees a closed door and runs right through it with reckless abandon. He takes a step back and tries to figure out how he can get through it, over it or around it.

I don't think its sourced in fear, I think he has a lot of respect for the game and the guys he's playing with, and he knows that he can be patient and let the game come to him. He's 19, and unlike us impatient fans, he knows he has a long career ahead of him and the most important thing is to develop without developing bad habits.

If/when he realizes that the best thing for his team is for him to be the #1 or #2 option, I think he'll attack that challenge.

The if/when part of that is what I'm unsure about. No one can say for sure about the "if" part. I can stand on my soapbox all day long and say it will happen because of what I've observed over the last few years, and Diesel can stand on his soapbox all day long and question Marvin's guts and heart and his lack of a superstar resume. At the end of the day, neither of us have a clue because only Marvin can know for sure what's in his heart.

A lot of those seemingly uberconfident superstar types that want the damn ball are really just blowhards that want you to think they're "the man", but inside they've got nothing. They talk a big game but that's all it is. There's something to be said for the humble one who doesn't need to do the talking, who just lets his play speak for himself, and doesn't need to tell you he's the best to believe he's the best. Who will compliment his teammates play even when he has a triple double, and who will spread the credit around. That's the kind of person he is, and I think that kind of person CAN be successful as a star in the NBA.

Its impossible to judge someone else's heart over such a short period of time. A few years at it and it becomes more clear how it shakes out with the Kwames, the Kandi mans, the Eddy Currys of the world versus the Garnetts, Kobes and Jermaine O'Neals.

So as for the "if", I believe he will, but I can't prove it for him.

The "when" part is more tangible. How long will it take? I have no idea. Will his teammates urge him? I don't know, some have a vested interest in keeping him on the bench. Do we have the right staff to help him blossom? I think we do. I don't know how much time Woody will get, but his career depends on how these young guys develop and I think he'll do empower them in every way he can. He doesn't have the luxury Larry Brown did to ignore Darko'

s development because his veteran team was already built for a championship. Woody needs JJ, Josh and Marvin to become superstars to improve his own legacy, they're the best bets he has.

I think it takes a year for consistent and confident play out of Marvin. By next season, I think we'll start seeing him take more control of the team, and we'll see him grow as a leader.

He has the right qualities and characteristics to be a great leader, he just has to prove he has the desire.

[exodus]

I guess it goes without saying that if they resign Al that will certainly hinder Marvin's development.That is another reason I would mind seeing Al traded.

As far as work ethic goes, when he showed up to his pre-draft workouts out of shape that definitely raised a red flag with me.

Only time will tell. Nobody is a sure thing.