Another lost season

[Plainview1981]

Welp, the team is quickly going down the crapper again this year and the games have once again become unwatchable.The "team" has been clobbered in 5 of it's last 7 games.

Heck, the win/loss record isn't even all that impressive. Since the 4-1 start the Hawks are something like 4-11. Improved team? I think not. It's the same old stuff that's been happening for 10 years.

Chill has been out? Marvin has only played in a few games? Speedy is always in and out? Who cares? It's always the same old crap... Lots of excuses and little answers.

You can say it's early, but there's not reason to believe these guys will better. The team can't do better because the team doesn't have the talent to do better. Most of the hawks young talent looks like busts, there is no coach and of course the GM Billy Knight... What's his career record as a gm again?

Oh, Marvin Williams and his laughable 10 points and 2 rebounds looks like a joke out there. Another 25 win season is headed the Hawks way. The Hawks are BY FAR the worst franchise in all of sports. There is no question about it.

[joannes3000]

Guess we should call it a day and forfeit the rest of our games.

[Plainview1981]

Quote:

---

Guess we should call it a day and forfeit the rest of our games.

---

It surely wouldn't hurt.

[gutz]

I feel your frustration Hotlanta but we if we are true Hawks fans we have to stick by our team and hope everyone gets healthy ASAP. I think you believe with everyone healthy this team can make some noise. If the East wasn't so HORRIBLE I would say our season is over but if we can hang around .500 were in the playoffs. So we can't just write the season off yet. We HAVE TO WIN TONIGHT though at Knicks or we are really in big trouble. I'm rapidly losing faith in Woodson though. Come on Hawks!

[d2v16DKG]

I agree- it's kind of early to start rooting for losses to get a high draft pick. The Hawks are Dr. Jeckle and Mr Hyde and the second half was definitely Mr. Hyde. When the Hawks play good, however, they play really good. I really believe we're close to being a good team and I still have faith in Woodson. I agree also, however, if we lose to the lowly Knicks tonight, we got serious problems.

[Sothron]

Its very hard trying to stay even remotely optimistic about this team. I'd love to see what a healthy roster could do this year though.

[Johnnybravo4]

Quote:

---

Its very hard trying to stay even remotely optimistic about this team. I'd love to see what a healthy roster could do this year though.

---

Lose by a little less.

[Sothron]

Heh maybe. We'd win more games too though. I just wish we had a real point guard and a real low post threat on this team.

[TexasPete]

When I watched Marvin last night I understand why his shooting is off. The huge brace on his left hand is clearly affecting his shot. That thing is HUGE. The left hand is still important in the shot and he can barely get anything resembling his hand on the ball. Wait until Marvin gets his cast off unil we judge his performance. That dunk was nasty and it shows his athleticism.

Woody is another story. This is not a well coached team and we are stuck because the GM loves him. The GM fills the owners with the BS about what a great job he is doing. The truth is that every year there are circumstances that protect Woodson and everybody runs to his defense and says to give him a real chance. The first two years it was youth even though we had Harrington and JJ, two very good NBA players. This year its the injuries.

I'm also not a fan of BK's free agent signings. Speedy is a BUST. Its not just his knee either because the dude shoots more airballs and bricks than ANY guard I have EVER seen. Last night he shot an airball from 12 feet with nobody guarding him. BK also fails to get us a real PG year in and year out. Note to BK: Get us a freaking PG in here!!! Not a career backup with a major injury history.

Until we improve our interior defense and get a real PG we are going to suck. We have a nice collection of forwards and we need to part with one to get us a REAL PG. Thats how it works...take an area and strength to improve an area of weakness. I have a sinking feeling this season is getting away fast.

[d2v16DKG]

We had a chance at a real point guard two drafts ago and we let him get away! I'm not as negative on Speedy as you are, however. Don't forget he's still getting over a broken hand. I believe he's getting better and better each game. I'm more upset at Josh Smith's dribbling and shooting. I believe he thinks he's a point guard some times. He needs to stick to what he does best.

[mudderfudder77]

How long is Joe out for?

And would you please put someone out there to rough up Curry tonight? All of us Chicago fans are praying for an Atlanta win.

[exodus]

[gutz]

I agree Texaspete. I saw that HUGE brace over Marvin's hand and couldn't believe he could even shoot the ball with that thing on. Marvin will come around if he starts being AGGRESSIVE and asking for the ball. He needs to post up more and use his skill set to get to the basket or draw the foul. Speedy seems to be improving each game at least. The key is for him to stay healthy for once in his career. Woody needs to grow his beard back to since he was coaching this team great the first 5 games then he shaves it and we have been 4-11 since with numerous injuries. I know that is ridiculously superstitious but anything will help us now. He at least commanded respect with that full beard.

[Johnnybravo4]

Pete we'll never get rid of Woody. It is because spin like this article from Kelly Dwyer at CNNSI

• Anyone making excuses for the disappointing Celtics should look at the job Mike Woodson is doing in Atlanta. The Hawks have been on the fringe of the Eastern playoff bracket all season, consistently alternating wins with losses, with a roster replete with youngsters.

Yes, Woodsen is chuffed to have Joe Johnson and his 29 points per game on board, but he's also had to overcome a disappointing veteran crew. Speedy Claxton is probably the league's worst rotation player (4.2 points and three assists in 22.7 minutes), and fellow free agent-signee Lorenzen Wright is just about finished.

Even worse, the Hawks have gotten next to nothing from their last two lottery picks, with Marvin Williams (who is 3-for-17 from the field since returning from a broken finger) and Shelden Williams (6.1 points, 5.9 rebounds in 21.7 minutes) struggling to find their way.

And yet, Woodsen has them competing -- during their longest losing streak of the season, the Hawks lost four in a row by an average of 3.3 points. When the two Williamses figure things out, this squad should be ready for a playoff run. Good thing, because we wouldn't trust GM Billy Knight with another lottery pick.

[TheDude]

one of the main things i think we all need to keep in mind is chemistry. some of these players are young and not only are they developing their own game and how they fit in, their teammates are still figuring out how that player fits in. once these players hone their games more and know what to expect from themselves and other players, i am HOPING we'll see a smoother offensive game and better scoring.

i am glad to see that the team (most of them anyway) tries hard on the defensive side of the ball so that when their offensive games kick in, we'll have a good team.

but in order for that to happen, we need better passing around the horn instead of, as mentioned before, having this bogged down halfcourt offense we have now.

speedy- needs to step up and actually has shown an improvement honestly. he's also more aggressive to take his shot although his shot still isnt very good

josh- is improving at a clip that i am satisfied with. right now he is saving our team from looking even worse

zaza- plays well at the beginning of games. needs to be more consistent throughout the game as well and look less to draw fouls and get frustrated.

lue- see above about offensive bog

marvin- be more aggressive. but smart and aggressive. confident is a good word

lo- wake the hell up

shelden- keep progressing as he's doing now and fine tune the spot up jumper a bit more (this goes for zaza as well-stop pump faking, hit the shot)

salim- i like his progression. sure he missed his shots last night and he took a lot but nobody else was hitting them, might as well he try to hit them himself. still needs to work on getting others involved. i'm actually somewhat satisfied with his development.

[Plainview1981]

Quote:

---

I feel your frustration Hotlanta but we if we are true Hawks fans we have to stick by our team and hope everyone gets healthy ASAP. I think you believe with everyone healthy this team can make some noise. If the East wasn't so HORRIBLE I would say our season is over but if we can hang around .500 were in the playoffs. So we can't just write the season off yet. We HAVE TO WIN TONIGHT though at Knicks or we are really in big trouble. I'm rapidly losing faith in Woodson though. Come on Hawks!

---

C'mon don't start with that true fan stuff. What have the Hawks done for the fans? Been the laughing stock of sports for a decade? Bore us to death with losing and unexciting teams?

The team doesn't have the ability to stay around .500 because:

-They can't score. Only one player on the roster that can truly create his own shot.

-No defense

-NO PG

-Bad coaching

There will be no hope until a legit coach is hired. Until then, it's basically all pointless.

[codyatl]

What ever happened to this exciting run and gun team we were supposed to be building. Wasnt that the reason we drafted all these athletic swing players? Who knows what we could see from js and mw and even chillz out running teams off the court. I have to put that on the shoulders of the coach mike woodson. Another thing is the looks he has during games. I believe I mentioned this before but he looks lost out there at times. That has to be a blow to a teams confidence when your head coach is a deer in headlights. Maybe woody is just a great assistant coach but not a head man.

[bootsybug]

holy smokes! our 2 best players are out (jj and chill), marvin is just coming back from a broken hand, speedy is hobbling around, and we're still 8-12. how is that a lost season? when jj and chill get back, we're a .500 team i'd say.

i agree that this team has bad coaching. i say this because the effort and execution are inconsistent. also the x's and o's and substitutions don't put us in winning positions, and we always seem to blow leads and lose close games.

i think a .500 season isn't a lost season, as that's plenty to get us in the playoffs.

[Plainview1981]

Quote:

---

holy smokes! our 2 best players are out (jj and chill), marvin is just coming back from a broken hand, speedy is hobbling around, and we're still 8-12. how is that a lost season? when jj and chill get back, we're a .500 team i'd say.

i agree that this team has bad coaching. i say this because the effort and execution are inconsistent. also the x's and o's and substitutions don't put us in winning positions, and we always seem to blow leads and lose close games.

i think a .500 season isn't a lost season, as that's plenty to get us in the playoffs.

---

It's a whole line of excuses. My point is that it's ALWAYS something. Every year there is excuses. The bottomline is that the Hawks never get the job done. Next year they'll be more excuses and reasons why the team is a failure.

8-12? The team has won 4 of it's last 15 games. The 4-1 start really doesn't reflect anything but some luck. Heck, The Suns and Mavs sucked at the start of the year. Doesn't mean anything now does it?

[Johnnybravo4]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

holy smokes! our 2 best players are out (jj and chill), marvin is just coming back from a broken hand, speedy is hobbling around, and we're still 8-12. how is that a lost season? when jj and chill get back, we're a .500 team i'd say.

i agree that this team has bad coaching. i say this because the effort and execution are inconsistent. also the x's and o's and substitutions don't put us in winning positions, and we always seem to blow leads and lose close games.

i think a .500 season isn't a lost season, as that's plenty to get us in the playoffs.

---

It's a whole line of excuses. My point is that it's ALWAYS something. Every year there is excuses. The bottomline is that the Hawks never get the job done. Next year they'll be more excuses and reasons why the team is a failure.

8-12? The team has won 4 of it's last 15 games. The 4-1 start really doesn't reflect anything but some luck. Heck, The Suns and Mavs sucked at the start of the year. Doesn't mean anything now does it?

---

No only that but all teams have injuries. We got our ass kicked by a kobeless Lakers team and a Seattle team without Ray Allen