Get to the playoffs and what.................

[Wurider05]

get swept. I don't see the big deal about making the playoffs if you are just going to be swept. There is no team that we can beat in series because we are too predictable and too easy to beat. I am to the point where I feel that not making the playoffs would make this team better than not making it. If we squeak in some way Woody and BK is safe. Josh can ask for the max and JJ is validated. This team is [censored] right now. This team is in chaos right now. We need a coach. We could have survived with the Lue/Johnson/Law platoon manning the point. You see the two games with Bibby we look exactly the same. It is not the players because we have talent as a matter of fact we have too much talent to have a sub .500 record. We need to find a coach who knows how to coach to his players strength. There is no perfect team in the NBA everybody needs something. GET RID OF WOODY AND OUR FORTUNES WILL CHANGE. HE IS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN OVER HIS HEAD. BK HAS PUT FRIENDSHIP BEFORE THE SUCCESS OF THE FRANCHISE. HE IS MORE LOYAL TO WOODY THAN TO THE ORGANIZATION.

[DJlaysitup]

Wouldn't we at least get on national TV? We haven't been there all year. Three games at least.

[Plainview1981]

I've started to wonder if the Hawks are talented enough. The Hawks players are abit overrated. Smoove is not really as good as he is made out to be. On a structured team, I think his stats and production would take a big hit. JJ is a 17PPG 3rd wheel forced into the role of a 20-22PPG first scorer. Nothing stands out about Marvin other than a jumpshot that has been rather unimpressive lately. As good a rebounder as Horford is, he looks like a future role player aswell. I see no reason to believe he will be better than Haslem. Which is no small thing, but a role player just the same.

[NJHAWK]

It is tough to call. I think if we make the playoffs are healthy we will not be swept . I do understand that winning like 35 games and still making the playoffs is kinda crap BUT we havent been there in so long I want us to make it. Hopefully our owners will see that if we had a good coach we could get alot farther next year. If we knew for a fact that making the playoffs would get Woody extended long term than that would be bad. Truthfully I would like to make it also so Phoenix doesnt get a good pick. THeir fans were arrogant through that whole JJ trade deal.

[Plainview1981]

The Hawks will win 32 games maybe.

[Dragitoff]

Anything is possible in the playoffs. Look at Golden State/Dallas last season. If this teams begins to click, we could scare alot of people. I was watching ESPN the other night (I was out of town and my hotel didn't get any other sports stations) and they were talking about no team wanting to play Atlanta in the playoffs because they are one of those teams that create so many mismatches for their opponents. When they play with energy, they have enough athletes to wear the opponents down. You can't expect Bibby to come in and the team gell overnight. I haven't been able to watch the last 2 games. From my understanding, they were ugly. If the team is still playing this way in a week, then we might need to be seriously concerned about even making the playoffs, but I want to make it so bad. If our guys get a taste of what playoff basketball is about, you don't think that will make them hungry for it again?

[Lascar78]

GS beat Dallas because Nellie outcoached Avery, and Avery failed to find the right adjustments.

We stand zero chance against anyone in the playoffs because Woody is incapable of making adjustments. We have the talent to shock some teams, but in a 7 game series, we might squeak 1 win out, then they'll adjust, and we won't counter it.

[Wurider05]

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Anything is possible in the playoffs. Look at Golden State/Dallas last season. If this teams begins to click, we could scare alot of people. I was watching ESPN the other night (I was out of town and my hotel didn't get any other sports stations) and they were talking about no team wanting to play Atlanta in the playoffs because they are one of those teams that create so many mismatches for their opponents. When they play with energy, they have enough athletes to wear the opponents down. You can't expect Bibby to come in and the team gell overnight. I haven't been able to watch the last 2 games. From my understanding, they were ugly. If the team is still playing this way in a week, then we might need to be seriously concerned about even making the playoffs, but I want to make it so bad. If our guys get a taste of what playoff basketball is about, you don't think that will make them hungry for it again?

Golden State was successful because Nelson isn't stuck into thinking one way. GS has several holes but again he coached to their strengths. They can't rebound, they have no post but instead of whinning about what he didn't have he went out and coached using what he had available. Woody refuses to change his style and is too predictable.

[swolehawk2]

Regardless of who the coach is next year, don't you think it would be good for this group of "boys" to get a feel of a playoff series.

Do you realize we have 2 players on this roster that have been to the playoffs? I won't count Craig.

These guys have to grow up somehow and at some point.

[Dragitoff]

Say what you will, but this team has beaten really good teams this season in spite of Woody. They've gotten their butts handed to them by bad teams as well, but again, I say, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN THE PLAYOFFS. I played sports in school and can tell you, the first year we made it to the playoffs, it made us so hungry to get back every year. No one on this team except for Joe and Bibby have played in a playoff game. Think what that taste will do for the young guys.

[Lascar78]

This is the NBA. Anything is possible FOR ONE GAME. Anything is NOT possible in a seven game series with one team making no adjustments. Not to mention the importance of offensive efficiency in the halfcourt.

[Guest Walter]

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get swept. I don't see the big deal about making the playoffs if you are just going to be swept.

And in the Leastern Conference this is even more apt.

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I am to the point where I feel that not making the playoffs would make this team better than not making it.

Not making the playoffs this year is the franchise improving equivalent of tanking last year! Tanking last year won us a top 3 pick and Horford. I don't want to "tank" this year, but not making the playoffs would do more for this franchise than Horford will. Getting rid of Woody A-N-D the architect BK is the only way this team COULD ever get built into a contender and if we make the playoffs the ASG will hold them up as successes. Sadly, it may be too late for this rebuild regardless of who GMs or coaches. Watching Paul triple double and Roy All-star in his 2nd year along with the success of their respective teams should tell anyone how much WHIFFING in the high lottery can doom a rebuild irreparably.

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You see the two games with Bibby we look exactly the same.

Maybe worse. I don't think people realize how little Bibby might have an impact for us. He's been marginal for Sac for some time, not getting younger, isn't a pure point, expensive as hell, injured, etc. I hope it works out though.

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It is not the players because we have talent as a matter of fact we have too much talent to have a sub .500 record.

I would also agree it's not the players. However, I do think it is the GM. Look. We are still a fatally flawed team lacking a center but just as importantly now, SKILL- SETS! Moreover, our top two players simply aren't good enough and in this league and THAT makes all the difference in the world.

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HE (BK) IS MORE LOYAL TO WOODY THAN TO THE ORGANIZATION.

Which is why the Bibby deal is about he and Woody's attempts at job security by acquiring primarily a name more than dramatically improving this team.

W

[Guest Walter]

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I've started to wonder if the Hawks are talented enough. The Hawks players are abit overrated. Smoove is not really as good as he is made out to be. On a structured team, I think his stats and production would take a big hit. JJ is a 17PPG 3rd wheel forced into the role of a 20-22PPG first scorer. Nothing stands out about Marvin other than a jumpshot that has been rather unimpressive lately. As good a rebounder as Horford is, he looks like a future role player aswell. I see no reason to believe he will be better than Haslem. Which is no small thing, but a role player just the same.

That the top 10 teams top 2 players were all significantly better (Roland rating) than our top 2 players.

We aren't talented enough. I'm frankly shocked that people don't seem to know this already. We're a bad to lesser mediocre team. Perhaps mediocre under a better coach.

W

[jhay610]

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I've started to wonder if the Hawks are talented enough. The Hawks players are abit overrated. Smoove is not really as good as he is made out to be. On a structured team, I think his stats and production would take a big hit. JJ is a 17PPG 3rd wheel forced into the role of a 20-22PPG first scorer. Nothing stands out about Marvin other than a jumpshot that has been rather unimpressive lately. As good a rebounder as Horford is, he looks like a future role player aswell. I see no reason to believe he will be better than Haslem. Which is no small thing, but a role player just the same.

Woah buddy. I was with you 'til the Horford thing. He is ROY in a lot of people's eyes and he has consistently shown his ability to go against the leagues best bigs. When he develops his post game a little more he will be tough. Haslem cant hold Big Al's jock

[TheNorthCydeRises]

This is a LOSER'S MENTALITY.

Now I'm not directly calling any of you "losers", but you're really not looking at this from the players' perspective. You guys do realize that sometimes, there is more to sports than just winning it all.

Sometimes, just making the postseason, ESPECIALLY if you're a young team, gives you tremendous confidence going into next season. Ask the Tennessee Titans. Ask the Colorado Rockies. Ask the Tornto Raptors last year.

When most of your young team have never played in the postseason, the EXPERIENCE gained from playing in the playoffs, is immeasureable.

Right now, the only Hawks with playoff experience are JJ and Bibby. So for everybody else, the EXPERIENCE of just making the playoffs, will be a great benefit to them in the future. It my also elevate their game as players, much like it has done for Chris Bosh

As great of a season as Portland has had, it's going to hurt that young team badly, if they don't get to experience what it is like in the playoffs this year. To make the playoffs without Oden, then add him to a core that has already had a playoff battle under their belts, would be great for them next year.

That Denver team in 1994 that beat a 65 win Seattle Supersonic team ( arguably the 2nd best team of the 90s . . and the team that almost EVERYONE had winning the title, with Jordan retired ), should have easily gotten swept. But that young Nugget team scrapped and clawed for 5 games, and won that series. That series was Dikembe's national coming out party as a defensive force.

What if the same thing happened for Josh Smith?

I don't give a damn if we get that #8 seed with a 33 - 49 record. Once you're in, you're in. And your win/loss record during the regular seasn dosn't matter one bit.

The only thing that matters, is how you play against your opponent for the next 4 - 7 games.

Some of you guys hate Woody so much, that you'd sacrifice and/or delay this young team from getting valuable playoff experience, just so that the coach can be fired. To me, that borderlines on being an anti-Hawk-fan.

Ish, do you know how many fans would be rooting for the Hawks to beat Boston, if we had a game 6 in ATL with us up 3 - 2? We'd be the media (( bleepin )) darlins.

Once the playoffs start, anything can happen. That's why New York, Chicago, Philly, Indiana, and especially Charlotte would GLADLY take that #8 slot, no matter what their record was during the regular season. There's no way you can tell me how those teams would be better off not making the playoffs, than us making it.

I know one thing. All of you guys who are convinced we'd get swept, would watch Games 1 & 2, and might even attend Game 3 in ATL. Why even watch, if you KNOW that we'll lose the series anyway?

[Packfill]

You want loser mentality? You sound like a woman who stays with a man even though he is beating her and cheating on her. Sure, he is nice sometimes and maybe one day he will not be a good for nothing druggy/womanizer, but chances are he is not going to change. He may shine up one day a year to go to your mothers birthday party, but he will get drunk and be hitting on your underage cousin before the end of the night.

I think if missing the playoffs is the only thing that guarantees getting rid of BK and Woody then the teams long term health is better served by missing the playoffs. With BK and Woody this team is on the slow boat to mediocrity - at best.

[mrhonline]

If Woodson needs to be fired, he'll be fired.

I'm more interested in actually following a playoff team for a change. Excellent post, north.

[TheDude]

The youngest team in the league making the playoffs would be huge. Not only because we'd have a really young team that could be perenially playoff bound but more importantly, you gain an immense amount of confidence by going there and it can really straighten a young teams mind frame.

[Packfill]

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The youngest team in the league making the playoffs would be huge. Not only because we'd have a really young team that could be perenially playoff bound but more importantly, you gain an immense amount of confidence by going there and it can really straighten a young teams mind frame.

The youngest team in the league is Portland.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

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You want loser mentality? You sound like a woman who stays with a man even though he is beating her and cheating on her. Sure, he is nice sometimes and maybe one day he will not be a good for nothing druggy/womanizer, but chances are he is not going to change. He may shine up one day a year to go to your mothers birthday party, but he will get drunk and be hitting on your underage cousin before the end of the night.

I think if missing the playoffs is the only thing that guarantees getting rid of BK and Woody then the teams long term health is better served by missing the playoffs. With BK and Woody this team is on the slow boat to mediocrity - at best.

With all due respect EDS, this is BASKETBALL, not The Young and the Restless, or some episode of Cheaters. No non-bsketball analogies can compare with making and not making the playoffs.

And even if we DO make the playoffs, but get swept, a great case can be made for Woody and BK STILL being fired.

Hell, Marty Schottenheimer got fired for losing a playoff game, even though he won 14 regular season games. So if we win 36 games, and barely squeak in, then get swept in the playoffs, the ASG should STILL pull the trigger on both guys.

But this is about the players, not the FANS expectations on where the team should be.

It's just like a bubble team that hasn't made the NCAA tournament in 8 years, finally squeaking in the big dance, but drawing a #13 seed. Let a team like Georgia somehow win the SEC tournament, and get into the Big Dance.

Now they'd have no shot at winning the tounament, and they'd probably lose that 1st round game. But the experience those freshmen, sophomoes, and juniors would get, could be built upon for next season . . regardless of whom the coach is. You could still make a good case for firing the Georgia coach.

And most of you can't even agree on what coach to bring here anyway. So it's not like some messiah coach is gonna come hre, and instantly transform us into 55 game winners anyway. If you know of one, fire Woody right now.

Even I'm for a coaching change these days. But I'm not going to wish against this team making the playoffs, if Woody is still the coach.

That's anti-fan to me.