USA Today team rankings

[beenthere]

David Dupree ranks us last in the league! Unbelievable. Hopefully this will serve as motivation for the coaches and players to proved everyone that they are so off base on analyzing this team.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/...-rankings_x.htm

[mudderfudder77]

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David Dupree ranks us last in the league! Unbelievable. Hopefully this will serve as motivation for the coaches and players to proved everyone that they are so off base on analyzing this team.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/...-rankings_x.htm

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Until the Hawks prove it on the court I wouldn't expect any sportswriter to give them the benefit of the doubt. Between the ownership situation, the Marvin injury, the Claxton injury, and Shelden doubters there isn't a whole lot of hope for a casual observer to latch on to.

Obviously for fans its a different story, they usually have much more knowledge of their particular team than a national sportswriter would, and are usually blinded by their loyalty to their team and always cautiously optimistic.

[gsuteke]

or maybe that was cbs.

what's funny to me is Seattle was ranked 20th. Danny Fortson is their only big and he's like 6'4".

[Popeye]

They have Utah at 10 and they didn't even make the playoffs last year.

They have the same team from last year too.

[frosgrim]

Good point mudder. When the Hawks win they will get respect from the national media, until then they won't.

I really could care less about where we are "ranked" in the pre-season publicatons. It makes no difference. This isn't college where a ranking makes a difference in the post-season, all that matters are wins and losses. The Hawks aren't going to make the playoffs this year. They are just too young. Next year, however, I expect an 8 to 6 seed, but it just isn't realistic this year.

That said we had better get over 34 wins. Woody has to show he can coach during a game, if not he MUST go. Of course, the Spirit group is partially tied down by the litigation problems, so Woody may end up getting a pass.

[Yeti]

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what's funny to me is Seattle was ranked 20th. Danny Fortson is their only big and he's like 6'4".

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I don't understand - they have Wilcox, Sene, Petro, Collison, and Lewis. Why do you think Fortson is their only big? (and Fortson is 6'8").

They are the only team who's ownership situation is even worse than ours. At least our new owners aren't trying to move the team.

[OGRat]

We should at least be ranked better than Portland. Don't care who is doing the ranking.

OG

[gsuteke]

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what's funny to me is Seattle was ranked 20th. Danny Fortson is their only big and he's like 6'4".

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I don't understand - they have Wilcox, Sene, Petro, Collison, and Lewis. Why do you think Fortson is their only big? (and Fortson is 6'8").

They are the only team who's ownership situation is even worse than ours. At least our new owners aren't trying to move the team.

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i'll give you Wilcox. but even he is a mid-level NBA player.

and if Fortson is 6'8" according to the nba he's closer to 6'5"1/2 in real life.

[DJlaysitup]

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...and if Fortson is 6'8" according to the nba he's closer to 6'5"1/2 in real life.

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I remember watching Fortson for the Nuggets - they listed him at 6'8" but even their own announcers would admit that it was a bit of a fudge. Still, he was a serious force in the paint who could rebound with the best on a given night (at least back then).

[Guest Walter]

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what's funny to me is Seattle was ranked 20th. Danny Fortson is their only big and he's like 6'4".

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With Petro, Wilcox, Sene, Collison (Significantly better PPG and RPG stats than SW this preseason), and even Fortson they seem fine and FAR from having only 1 big man.

I suspect you can't handle the fact that Sene is starting over Petro (who started over Swift last year) already and this is merely gsuteke lashing out.

W

[Duff_Man]

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what's funny to me is Seattle was ranked 20th. Danny Fortson is their only big and he's like 6'4".

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I don't understand - they have Wilcox, Sene, Petro, Collison, and Lewis. Why do you think Fortson is their only big? (and Fortson is 6'8").

They are the only team who's ownership situation is even worse than ours. At least our new owners aren't trying to move the team.

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i'll give you Wilcox. but even he is a mid-level NBA player.

and if Fortson is 6'8" according to the nba he's closer to 6'5"1/2 in real life.

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I have stood next to him (he is from PA)...6'5" tops.

[gsuteke]

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what's funny to me is Seattle was ranked 20th. Danny Fortson is their only big and he's like 6'4".

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With Petro, Wilcox, Sene, Collison (Significantly better PPG and RPG stats than SW this preseason), and even Fortson they seem fine and FAR from having only 1 big man.

I suspect you can't handle the fact that Sene is starting over Petro (who started over Swift last year) already and this is merely gsuteke lashing out.

W

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See Duffman's post.

I let you get me banned once this week. it won't happen again. you keep spewing off at the mouth. you are your own worst enemy Walter

[Guest Walter]

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I let you get me banned once this week.

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...and I use "banned" in quotes for a reason.

It's like I forced you to make an ass of yourself. Come on gsuteke. Take responsibility for your actions. Moreover, let's get past this. At the end of the season you'll be begging for BK's dismissal in part because of his drafting of SW (over Roy, Foye, Sene even, who will show FAR more promise than SW shows actual), his utter failure to get a post presence worth a d@mn, his trading Al for nothing... 'Til then we can all enjoy the Philly game. Or maybe not. Sometimes it's better to attack each other just so we don't have to watch such a horribly coached, poorly GMed/designed team. At least that's how it looks so far. Should you ever need a distraction from this...

W

[gsuteke]

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I let you get me banned once this week.

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...and I use "banned" in quotes for a reason.

It's like I forced you to make an ass of yourself. Come on gsuteke. Take responsibility for your actions. Moreover, let's get past this. At the end of the season you'll be begging for BK's dismissal in part because of his drafting of SW (over Roy, Foye, Sene even, who will show FAR more promise than SW shows actual), his utter failure to get a post presence worth a d@mn, his trading Al for nothing... 'Til then we can all enjoy the Philly game. Or maybe not. Sometimes it's better to attack each other just so we don't have to watch such a horribly coached, poorly GMed/designed team. At least that's how it looks so far. Should you ever need a distraction from this...

W

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Walter I hope you realize nobody takes you seriously.

[Guest Walter]

It's a message board, gsuteke. Remember that when you contemplate how seriously you are taken.

W

[TexasPete]

Actually, Shelden will be BK's last major mistake. After this unathletic young man plays 82 games all Hawk fans will realize he was a huge mistake. Yes, even the blind ones. And not even taking the draft seriously by working out better players really says it all about Hawks management. We are ranked last by most observers for a reason. People are panning the Shelden pick for a reason. We are a strange amalgamation of players with an awful coach, an incompetant GM who also happens to somehow be arrogant, and we have owners in court fighting over this wonderful team. Other than that its hard to figure why everybody thinks we stink.

In my view I think Walter is more right than many on this board about some of these issues. The fact is people on this board want a winner desperately and turn a blind eye to the real problems in this organization: Poor owners, awful general management, and terrible coaching. The big trifecta.

These Hawks won't crack 30 wins without a miracle and at least a damn good coach. The Shelden bust is something everyone will have to live with just like hearing about Chris Paul only 10 times worse. Oh, and essentially giving a valuable and coveted resource away for a low 1st round pick...priceless.

[Guest Walter]

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Actually, Shelden will be BK's last major mistake. After this unathletic young man plays 82 games all Hawk fans will realize he was a huge mistake. Yes, even the blind ones. And not even taking the draft seriously by working out better players really says it all about Hawks management. We are ranked last by most observers for a reason. People are panning the Shelden pick for a reason. We are a strange amalgamation of players with an awful coach, an incompetant GM who also happens to somehow be arrogant, and we have owners in court fighting over this wonderful team. Other than that its hard to figure why everybody thinks we stink.

In my view I think Walter is more right than many on this board about some of these issues. The fact is people on this board want a winner desperately and turn a blind eye to the real problems in this organization: Poor owners, awful general management, and terrible coaching. The big trifecta.

These Hawks won't crack 30 wins without a miracle and at least a damn good coach. The Shelden bust is something everyone will have to live with just like hearing about Chris Paul only 10 times worse. Oh, and essentially giving a valuable and coveted resource away for a low 1st round pick...priceless.

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...There will be many.

There will be more talented guards able to play the point next to JJ in Roy and Foye that are as much Pg as Speedy appears to be. There will be far better interior defense prospects in Sene. There will be flat out more talented players in Gay (trade required). There will be many late 1st rd Pg prospects better than Speedy and blaming Pheonix for this overlooks the 10 or so other teams we cøuld have traded with. ETC.

My fear is that the pro-BK contingency will blame the players. I'm already hearing it. "JJ isn't enough of a leader". "Smoove isn't enough of an interior player" (THEN GET ONE that allows him to be who he is, he and MW to start together, etc.). Believe me, when I bash SW (and I do) it's not because of him, it's because he reflects BK's ongoing, worsenign ineptness.

While I'm sure responsibility abounds, what we are seeing is a disaster from the GM and coach. A painful disaster. No player can truly, consistently shine through this disaster. No team can contend with this "leadership". We may not recover from this management's decisions without going through some serious pain. Pain, get use to it. "Painful" may best describe this season and the fixing of our flawed team.

W