Is BK's dream being realized?

[exodus]

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our defense improves as soon as al is gone for 2 reasons

a) no more al

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LOL

The thing is the Hawks may very well end up with with the 6th worst record. Then they could slide to 7 or 8 where there might not be a quality big.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Hawks wind up with a 1/2 combo guard.

[exodus]

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Sure we're bad on defense but that's

because we lack effective big men

and our guys are young.

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That is where i was heading. the 4/5 combo of Al and Zaza is the reason the D is so weak.

[DJlaysitup]

Better have a good backup PF if Smoove is going to take over that spot full time. I would guess teams with strong PFs will attack him in the paint and he will get alot of fouls.

[exodus]

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I would guess teams with strong PFs will attack him in the paint and he will get alot of fouls.

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Not happening. When Josh started against Brand in the first Clippers game Brand got punk'd by Josh.

When Zaza got in early foul trouble against the Bucks in their first game they put Josh on Magloire, who tried to back Josh down with no luck.

I can only think of one reason why Woodson isn't playing him at the 4 now. He may just want Josh to mature a little more physically before he plays there full time. However he has already shown that he can be very effective there.

[Diesel]

That's only true for this generation of basketball.

Put any of those teams up against the Showtime Lakers OR even the Reggie Miller Pacer teams that Bk is trying to build... The top teams of today would be eaten Alive.

The teams of today are not able to match basket for basket with a very good offensive of yesterday AND.. the Defense will eventually surrender.

A few years ago, a stronger Spurs team played the Nets in the finals and won 4 games to 2. That's ridiculous. That Nets team was very weak offensively and defensively and that Spurs team was stronger than they are now. It's the problem that these defensively agile teams face against an open offense. In that case, NJ's offense was open because of the PG. However, BK is building an offense with all ball handlers and all scorers. Our players are very immature right now...

But of those teams you mentioned in your post...

Dallas 9, 1

Detroit 3, 2

Phoenix 4, 3

San Antonio 1, 11

We have beaten them all except Phoenix.

[Diesel]

Hell, nobody disagrees. I said, we need a big man C that can defend. Unfortunately the draft yeilds none. I think we may take a chance on Cato or Nazr with a small contract, but I won't get my hopes up with that either. It would be interesting if we went balls to the wall on Wilcox... But I just don't see BK offering big money for a player whom he could have traded for.

[exodus]

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We have beaten them all except Phoenix.

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And we have lost 3 to Toronto.

Last i checked there isn't a time machine that can transport the Hawks back to the 80s. And I don't think we will get the opportunity to get another Magic or Kareem.

While you obviously prefer to live in a fantasy world i prefer to deal with reality. The reality is that you have to play well on both ends of the ball to be a title contender.

And there isn't a defensive center that will turn this defense around by himself, especially guys like Cato and Battie that you want to bring in.

[Diesel]

Last I checked, you were trumping the great defense of the top teams... Whatsamatta.. Things change (namely the subject) when you talk about them losing to the #26 defense in the land??

[exodus]

Last year the 13 win Hawks blew out Detroit on the road. Did that make the Hawks a good team? no

The Hawks are 19 games under .500. Their pathetic defense is the main reason why. While they are certainly better than last year they will have to get much better defensively to be a true contender.

You mentioned earlier in the year that the Hawks should model themselve after the Sonics. So how are they doing lately?

[Diesel]

Again DA. I'm looking at what you call good defensive teams and showing you that they are capable of being beating by weak defensive teams with a less than conventional offensive gameplan.

I know you're no fan of the Hawks...

But are you on Hawksqauwk saying that our wins over good teams mean Nothing??

[exodus]

Man you are a retard.

You may not be aware of this but what matters are wins and losses.

right now Detroit is 38 games over .500, Dallas is 34 games over, Phoenix 21 games (w/o Amare), SA 32 games over.

Hawks are 19 games under.

You may not be aware of this but teams make the playoffs based on the WIN TOTAL, not who they won against.

And when did the Hawks beat Dallas? I must have missed that game.

[Diesel]

I think it is you who are the retard my retarded friend.

Wins and losses only get you into the post season... Maybe you missed the whole conversation in your attempts to change the subject but we are talking about the strengths of said teams... ONLY a Luefan couldn't understand.

There have been teams that looked really good in the W-L category and got the hell beat out of them in the post season. Email JJ and ask him about the mighty suns of last year.

The point is Style of play and strength of play. Is it conducive for winning in the post season.

Hell most good teams are going to beat the teams that they are supposed to beat. However, the truth comes in the post season. When all the record fillers like Atlanta, Charlotte, and Toronto are out of the way and there are hungry teams to play. How do these good teams fair then. Will Dallas gracefully bow out in the first round?

Maybe they should just play the playoffs on paper so that you can be satisfied and the team with the best regular season record wins?

You crack me up Luefan.

[exodus]

the Hawks were 2-6 against those 4 teams. While that is better than many teams it is still 25%.

[Diesel]

Yeah. It's 25% and 11% of our total wins.

That's incredible because we are a team that these teams should walk over.

[exodus]

Detroit and San Antonio have 4 rings between them. One is ranked number 1 in defense and the other is ranked 3.

The Suns and Dallas are great on offense and you are saying they will bow out in the playoffs. Yet you are trying to say the Hawks should focus on offense and not on D.

You never cease to amaze me.

[Diesel]

Yet...

If you put either team down in the History of Basketball to play against other teams not of this watered down era, Both Detroit and San Antonio will get the hell beat out of them.

They can't stand up to the bulls team of old. Hell, they can't stand up to Hakeems Rockets.

Like I was saying... This is about strength of a team.. Not some phoney win loss record??

[exodus]

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Not some phoney win loss record??

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So you think the whole regular season is a sham? How should they pick which teams make the playoffs? Maybe they should take the teams with the best cheerleaders, or the nicest uniforms.

Let me know when you invent that time machine so the top teams of today can play the Hakeem Rockets.

[Weez]

with the exception of PHX, what is the one constant in all of the other top teams?

answer: continuity. perhaps the greatest (and single most underrated factor in all of basketball).

[Diesel]

That's kinda true.

I think dallas has made changes... Like losing Nash... Gaining young players and playing them... Changing Coaches.

Detroit has changed coaches but nothing else important...

[exodus]

Detroit got their ring when they added Sheed in the middle of the season.

Dallas overhauled their roster completely last year.