Roll Call

[Popeye]

They are all WHITE.

[wasBlackHawkDown]

I dont hate Dirk I am annoyed by the way people ride his jock and pretend he is the greatest player in history. He is a decent player but no superstar.

[wasBlackHawkDown]

Say what you want but I have been correct in identifying talent and calling out crap players I said Bogut would be a scrub and he is. I said Chris Paul would be a stud and he is. I even said Tayshawn Prince would be a star before he was drafted and he is. Look at all my post I have been right 99% ofd the time. The only time I was wrong was when I though that Big Hog Robinson would turn us into a playoff team. But I at least credit myself for bashing him a year before that.

[Seano]

Quote:

---

Say what you want but I have been correct in identifying talent and calling out crap players

---

Very true, which is why you have a highly paid and well-respected job in an NBA front office. Oh....wait.

[Sha]

This is a very interesting post...

Love

Hawks--THE WHOLE TEAM--I think its bad to hate players on your own (favorite) team...well...its just not me

The NBA in general--Mike Bibby, Brad Miller, AI (keep in mind I love AI but I'm not a huge fan of the idea of him becoming a Hawk...I'm very cautious), Paul Pierce, Tayshaun Prince and DWade

Hate

--over the past couple of years the players that I hated from day 1 of being an NBA fan are now retired and that would be Karl Malone and Reggie Miller...ugh my stomach turns just thinking about them...but as for right now I think I'm in a good place with everyone in the league right now...there is no player that I HATE...at least I can't think of anyone one or two players right now...but I do hate the Dallas Mavericks as a team more than any other person you will EVER EVER meet

[AHF]

Quote:

---

I'll never understand the reasoning behind hating a sports player, unless he is unprofessional. Hate is a strong word/emotion, and its thrown around like it's nothing. Tell me how Dirk Nowitzki deserves the hate you spread for him constantly. This is after all, a team sport. Any success and recognition he has, has been earned through lots of hard work.

---

Actually, I think irrational hate is one of the best things about being a sports fan. In real life, you don't get to hate people. In sports, you can hate players and teams for no good reason. Years after Laettner stomps on a prone Kentucky player, gets the "Dookie" benefit of the official's non-ejection, and buries a lot of clutch shots to knock out an undermanned UK team I get to hate Duke and 90+% of the players associated with the team. It isn't because JJ Reddick is inherently a worse person than Tony Delk - I wouldn't know either of them well enough to say. It is because Reddick is a #?$*ing Dookie who draws fouls when people stare at him then goes on ESPN (the Duke promotion network) and complains about being picked on by fans while reading poetry he wrote. Is that a real reason to hate someone in an objective sense? Of course not. However, being a fan means not having to be objective and getting to have passion for or against teams and players just because they are your guys or because they aren't.

For the Hawks roster, there is noone I hate but I especially love Josh Smith and Joe Johnson. Josh just does things on the Court that are mind-blowing and I love the way he has grown his game. Joe came here when we were as popular as a leapor and has continued to develop his game while playing the right way (not forcing shots, etc.)

[chillzatl]

haha, on what planet is Tayshaun Prince a star? Yah you were sooo right on that one.

[drzachary]

AHF, you seem to be an aficionado of www.truthaboutduke.com .. if not, I recommend it!

[Johnnybravo4]

Unconditional love for

1. Josh Smith

2. Marvin Williams

3. Joe Johnson

4. Salim Stoudamire

5. Kelvin Cato

6. Dion Glover

7. Allen Iverson

8. Jose Juan Barea

9. Alessandro Del Piero (just random soccer reference)

I unconditionally hate

1. Royal Ivey

2. All stiff centers

3. Anyone who hates the players I love

4. Vince Carter (for calling us the best 6'8 team)

5. Peyton Manning (my hate for him transcends sports)

[AHF]

Quote:

---

AHF, you seem to be an aficionado of

www.truthaboutduke.com

.. if not, I recommend it!

---

I have enjoyed it a few times in the past. Good recommendation!

[Wretch]

Marvin Williams - I have nothing against Marvin. Never have. I like his handles, his speed, athleticism, and his shot. I think he was a good pick for any team who might have ended up with the #2 overall...but my preference was to draft Chris Paul. While both of these players may be special for years to come, I put more value into a special player who controls the point - and not just a special scorer, but a special playmaker. Though I do not codemn BK for his pick.

Josh Childress - I was one of the few people defending this kid from day one. I still love his game and I think it is too early to write him off as a 6th man. I believe that people are doing this because of the way the team has been built. IOW - Josh is the odd man out having JJ at the 2, and Marvin/Smoove at the 3/4 and now having drafted Shelden.

Shelden Williams - I loved what he did at Duke, though like many of the prospects in this draft, I did not watch him much. I don't have many concerns about him being able to rebound, defend, and score on the NBA level...but my preference was for BK to draft Brandon Roy. I don't care that he may be nothing more than a JJ clone, or that our biggest problem was interior defense (or defense in general). After looking at him, I thought he had the fire and skills to become a VERY good player on this level and would compliment JJ perfectly.

Salim - Who knows where Salim is headed. He is a bonafied 1st round quality talent, but can he coexist with...well anyone? Seems to have Iversonism or Blackhole-ism, though I have seen him make some EXTREMELY nice plays a time or too. If he learns to be more unselfish and less self-centered on the court, he may be the backcourt mate that JJ needs. My gut tells me he will be included in a package with one of our "forwards"

Adam Morrison - I wish we could have drafted him. I love his attitude...I mean, it just doesn't get any better than that. Plays with so much passion, scores just the same. I think he's going to be a star.

Mike Woodson - Let him go. I am beyond exhausted with rookies and rookie coaches. I don't care what good he has done, we need experience in here. I'm tired of experimenting and growing talent, coaching, front office...everything in Atlanta just wreaks of greeness. I'd be much more comfortable with an established coach, with an established system. I think that will ultimately make the turning point for us. When we get someone in here that knows what to do with these kids.

Billy Knight - BK is nothing more than an average GM. In many ways, he is exactly the opposite of Babcock.

Whereas Babs was clueless about the draft and afraid of it, BK seems to know what he's doing for the most part and embraces it.

Though, whereas Babs would pull of coup after coup (Laettner, Mookie, Smitty, Deke, Ratliff, JT), get deals done before the deadline and all summer long, and find a way to get 1st round picks...BK seems to drag his feet on every mother?@#$'n deal only to come away with a token 1st rounder. If that.

Babs got fleeced in deals involving draft picks, but he got things done. Babs would talk to the media and address the fans... BK well...

Babs would chase down free agents and win or lose, you knew what he was doing. BK seems to be standing by the side of the road quietly holding a "help wanted" sign.

Despite what I don't like about BK, through execution...BK has built a tremendous talent base (even if it is redundant to sh!t and back). For that, I give him mad props. He isn't terrible, but he isn't perfect. Wheras Babs just spiraled us into mediocrity with no light at the end of the tunnel, at least BK has given us hope. I approve of BK, but only just so much.

[Teeareess]

Lover

Marvin

Joe Johnson

Josh Smith

Hater

A.I.

Shelden Williams

[gheorghe]

Love:

Hawks: J.Smith, Salim, Batista, Childress, Speedy, Marvin, JJ, Tree Rollins, Nique, Kevin Willis, Spud,

League: Ginobili, Shaq, Zo, Nocioni, Kidd, Carter, GHill, Yao,Jordan, Payton, Magic, Sabonis,and the great BIG GHEORGHE MURESAN

hate:

HAwks: ZAZA, Edwards, Lue, Woody, Lenny Wilkens and Jon Kontrackt

league: Carmelo, Rafael Araujo,Olowokandi, Marbury, Kobe, Jerry Buss, Donald Trump, Mark Cuban, David Hasselhoff,Allan Houston, Stackhouse,and Detlef Schrempf

[Traceman]

LOVE:

Marvin - My favorite player on the Hawks. Like Wretch, Chris Paul is the guy I would have taken BUT that certainly does nothing to diminish my love for Marvin. I think he is going to be THE MAN for this team in a few years but even if he isn't, I'll love him anyway.

JJ - How can you not love this guy?

Smoove - Most exciting Hawk since Nique.

Chillz - Great guy. Deng is the guy I would have taken but it doesn't diminish my love for Chillz.

Nique - Greatest Hawk of all time.

JT - My all-time favorite Hawk after Nique. I still root for him to do well.

Smitty - Classy guy.

Deke - Classy guy.

Mookie - My man Mookie!

DerMarr Johnson - Slim was my man. Like JT, I still root for him.

Jordan - Greatest of all time.

LeBron - I LOVE watching him play.

HATE:

Knicks and Knicks' fans.

Bucaneers and Bucs' fans.

I don't "hate" any individual players but I certainly like some a LOT more than others.