On Paper We Have A Serious Chance for the 8th Seed

[BusBoyIsBack]

In the East, there will be 7 teams that will clearly be better than the other 8.

Those teams are

1)Miami Heat

2)Cleveland Cavaliers

3)Chicago Bulls

4)Detroit Pistons

5)New Jersey Nets

6)Washington Wizards

7)Indiana Pacers

Thaht leaves a final playoff spot for

Milwaukee Bucks

Philadelphia 76ers

Orlando Magic

Boston Celtics

Toronto Raptors

Charlotte Bobcats

New York Knicks

or the Hawks.

Now at first, I said we were way too young but when I actually looked at how we match up, there are only two teams we don't matchup against on paper.

See for yourself:

Hawks vs 76ers

Speedy Claxton > Kevin Ollie/Louis Williams

Joe Johnson

Josh Smith = Andre Iguodala

Shelden Williams

Zaza Pachulia

Hawks

Hawks vs Celtics

Speedy Claxton > Delonte West

Joe Johnson

Josh Smith > Wally Szczerbiak

Shelden Williams

Zaza Pachulia = Theo Ratliff

Hawks

Hawks vs Bucks

Speedy Claxton = Maurice Williams

Joe Johnson = Michael Redd

Josh Smith > Bobby Simmons

Shelden Williams

Andrew Bogut = Zaza Pachulia (Don’t believe me look up the numbers)

Hawks = Bucks

Hawks vs Magic

Speedy Claxton = Jameer Nelson

Joe Johnson >> JJ Redick

Josh Smith > Hedo Turkoglu

Shelden Williams

Zaza Pachulia > Darko Milicic

Hawks > Magic

Hawks vs Raptors

Speedy Claxton = TJ Ford

Joe Johnson > Mo Peterson

Josh Smith > Joey Graham

Shelden Williams

Zaza Pachulia > Rasho Nesterovic

Hawks > Raptors

Hawks vs Bobcats

Speedy Claxton = Ray Felton

Joe Johnson > Gerald Wallace

Josh Smith > Adam Morrison

Shelden Williams > Sean May

Zaza

Hawks > Bobcats

[Packfill]

Quote:

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In the East, there will be 7 teams that will clearly be better than the other 8.

Those teams are

1)Miami Heat

2)Cleveland Cavaliers

3)Chicago Bulls

4)Detroit Pistons

5)New Jersey Nets

6)Washington Wizards

7)Indiana Pacers

Thaht leaves a final playoff spot for

Milwaukee Bucks

Philadelphia 76ers

Orlando Magic

Boston Celtics

Toronto Raptors

Charlotte Bobcats

New York Knicks

or the Hawks.

Now at first, I said we were way too young but when I actually looked at how we match up, there are only two teams we don't matchup against on paper.

See for yourself:

Hawks vs 76ers

Speedy Claxton > Kevin Ollie/Louis Williams

Joe Johnson

Josh Smith = Andre Iguodala

Shelden Williams

Zaza Pachulia

Hawks

Hawks vs Celtics

Speedy Claxton > Delonte West

Joe Johnson

Josh Smith > Wally Szczerbiak

Shelden Williams

Zaza Pachulia = Theo Ratliff

Hawks

Hawks vs Bucks

Speedy Claxton = Maurice Williams

Joe Johnson = Michael Redd

Josh Smith > Bobby Simmons

Shelden Williams

Andrew Bogut = Zaza Pachulia (Don’t believe me look up the numbers)

Hawks = Bucks

Hawks vs Magic

Speedy Claxton = Jameer Nelson

Joe Johnson >> JJ Redick

Josh Smith > Hedo Turkoglu

Shelden Williams

Zaza Pachulia > Darko Milicic

Hawks > Magic

Hawks vs Raptors

Speedy Claxton = TJ Ford

Joe Johnson > Mo Peterson

Josh Smith > Joey Graham

Shelden Williams

Zaza Pachulia > Rasho Nesterovic

Hawks > Raptors

Hawks vs Bobcats

Speedy Claxton = Ray Felton

Joe Johnson > Gerald Wallace

Josh Smith > Adam Morrison

Shelden Williams > Sean May

Zaza

Hawks > Bobcats

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I sure hope we can compete for a playoff spot. It would be very refreshing to see the Hawks play meaningful games late in the season.

Not sure I agree with your rankings. Rating Speedy Claxton the equivalent of Raymond Felton, Jameer Nelson and Mo Williams is way off base. All three are superior players/talents. Plus Zaza is not nearly as talented as either Darko or Bogut, so while both Bogut and Darko have yet to breakout they are superior talents who have shown signs of breaking out.

[Peoriabird]

I guess you think that only 5 players determine how good a basketball team is and that indiviual talent is more important than team chemistry. I bet is you compared the Lakers, Cleveland, Memphis, and even ths Suns to those bubble teams, you would have them not making the playoffs either.

Also I find it odd that you feel that Shelden Williams will start at power forward and marvin will be a bench player! Or that Josh Smith is a better Sm. forward than Marvin.

[Final_quest]

I'm not expecting us to make the playoffs, but we will be more competitive. Marvin will have to play against the veterans the same way he did against summer league players, and Shelden will have to look more like he did at Duke.

[Nicholasp27]

smoove>iggy

chill=iggy

and u are forgetting that with that starting lineup, we have the best 6th the best 7th the best 8th and the best 9th men

marvin/chill/slim/lue

[Peoriabird]

Quote:

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Marvin will have to play against the veterans the same way he did against summer league players.

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I don't get it! Marvin showed you everything consistently in the SL; Shooting both FG & FT shooting, rebounding, assist, ball handling, quickness, hussle & determination. Something Smoove has never done but yet Smoove still is considered a better basketball player. Please someone explain this to me!

[Lascar78]

Yeah I think we'll be starting speedy-jj-marvin-smith-zaza anyhow.

I think the east in the regular season will be something like

1-New Jersey Nets

2-Miami Heat

3-Cleveland Cavaliers

4-Chicago Bulls

5-Detroit Pistons

6-Washington Wizards

7-Indiana Pacers

8-Orlando Magic

9-Milwaukee Bucks

10-Atlanta Hawks

11-Toronto Raptors

12-Philadelphia 76ers

13-Boston Celtics

14-Charlotte Bobcats

15-New York Knicks

[skankin_richard]

^2 words: Summer League

[swolehawk2]

Actually, if anyone was watching, Marvin started to play well at the end of last season!

[Nicholasp27]

the thing that does translate and u can't use the 'summer league' line on is his ft shooting

the ft shot is the same in sl as in the nba

they didn't lower the rim or make the line closer

[Peoriabird]

Quote:

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^2 words: Summer League

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But Smoove didn't do it in summer league and plus you can't have it both ways. You can't glorify what Roy & Foye did in summer league as a way to chastize BK for not picking them and then turn around and say that Marvin's performance was meaningless.

[Final_quest]

What are you talking about?

Marvin was great in summer leagues, it doesn't mean he will play like an MVP in the NBA. I didn't criticize him. Why are you being so defensive?

[Peoriabird]

Quote:

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What are you talking about?

Marvin was great in summer leagues, it doesn't mean he will play like an MVP in the NBA. I didn't criticize him. Why are you being so defensive?

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I am talking about the skill that he displayed! It doesn't matter what setting some on displys god given skill, you still can appreciate them!

Fact; Marvin is a natural at handling the ball

Fact; Marvin is a very good shooter

Fact: Marvin is a very good athlete

Fact; Marvin has incredible quickness for a man his size

Fact: Marvin has very good basketball instincts

Fact; Marvin has a good basketball IQ

So I am not talking about how many points he scored in Sl. Rather, I am admiring his skill set which is better than Smoove's skill set

[Final_quest]

Quote:

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I'm not expecting us to make the playoffs, but we will be more competitive. Marvin will have to play against the veterans the same way he did against summer league players, and Shelden will have to look more like he did at Duke.

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Are you under 21? Sounds like it.

What did I write to suggest anything about Smoove here?

[Iman]

I'm not a big ZaZa fan. He is young and hopefully will improve but his lack of defense and defensive rebounding is a problem. I hope we pick up a starting center such as Magloire before the season starts. Maybe ZaZa's defense would improve if he wasnt required to be on the court so many minutes and had to worry less about fouling also.

I didnt really like the Shelden pick but maybe he'll surprise me. I know he proved alot at Duke but I think he'll have to prove himself at the NBA level before he starts. I also think we will want to run on offense now that we got Speedy. So I have very little doubt that Marvin and Smoove will start at the forwards. Which leaves us needing a strong defensive center.

With Magloire and some good chemistry and coaching, I can see us as around a 6th seed. Without another good center, I see us winning low to mid 30's.

[gutz]

The Hawks have a very good chance to make the playoffs at least with a 7 or 8 seed. I think the Wizards are a team that could possibly fall out of the playoffs also. They did nothing this offseason to improve their team and will probably loss Jeffries to FA. They were what .500 last year. Milwaukee is another playoff team from last year I think is overrated and barely finished .500 last year. Same with Indiana we sweeped them last 3-0 and they barely made the playoffs with a .500 record. I'm just saying these 3 teams have not done a whole lot this offseason to say they will definitely make the playoffs again next year. We could overtake all three of these teams realistically if our players play the way we know they can. I think its wide open for the last 3 playoffs spots honestly with these 5 a lock to make the playoffs....after that its up for grabs! Go HAWKS!!

1.Detroit

2.Chicago

3.Miami

4.Cleveland

5.New Jersey

[tmac13]

Just a question..How are we that much better than Charlotte?..What has made us suddenly better than Boston and the 76ers?..

[Final_quest]

I agree. We would have to see a couple team's key players get injured for us to really have a chance.

[macdaddy]

To me there are 5 good teams in the east:

Those teams are

1)Miami Heat

2)Cleveland Cavaliers

3)Chicago Bulls

4)Detroit Pistons

The Nets seem like they'll be good but I think they just as easily could slip but I'll though them in.

5)New Jersey Nets

I think the rest of the bunch is a free for all. Esp. the Pacers. What do they really have going for them other than JO?

[Lascar78]

The 76ers are aging, didn't make the playoffs last year, and I doubt they'll make them this year. Webber and AI's bodies are 1 year older (esp. Webber's knees), and they hog the ball so much that their young guns don't get the chance to shine. They gambled big time on Dalembert and he fizzled. I foresee plenty of lockerroom drama and sub-par performances this year that will probably lead to AI being traded sooner or later.

As for the Celts, they just aren't that good either. They have an absolute stud in Paul Pierce, but even putting up an MVP-caliber performance last year, they barely got 33 wins, and I think they'll be in the neighborhood of 30 wins again. Jefferson is not living up to the hype, Green is too much of a clone of PP in that I can't see him blowing up next to pierce, but rather replacing him. Who is the #2 guy in boston next year? I guess it's Wally, but I don't like the Pierce-Wally combo. Too soft, especially with ratliff in the middle. I just don't like how this team is built.

As for Charlotte, first of all I don't buy Okafor as being all he is billed at, not to mention his injury problems. I don't think May is that great either, and has injuries also. Their two best players this year will be Wallace and Morisson, both pure SF's. Wallace is a great vet, but is not a leader. Morisson will be a star scorer, but plays no D. I like their PG's. I just don't see it coming all together. I think if they count on Morisson shining, they'll have to trade Wallace for a better fit for the team to really work.

What are your rankings in the East?