Tough schedule....that's all

[HawkItus]

If you look at the Top 20 or so teams in Hollinger's rankings we have the toughest schedule in last 25% of games. You know who is second? Miami. Guess what our record is in the last 10? 4-6. Miami? 5-5. The difference is we lost to Miami and they beat us. Everybody is saying this and that about this team, but honestly we are just playing really good teams. We've won the games we should win in this stretch. All this while mixing in two new players and adjusting to the removal of a central piece to our recent success. Let's give Drew and the team the playoffs. Let that decide their fates. Who cares if we win a few games less than last year. The East is tougher at the top. And we've had way more injuries than last year. I'm not giving up on this team. Yes, they are flawed, but I saw a team that backed in to the playoffs take a giant to 7 games when they had no reason winning 1. You can't predict the future in the sports solely on the present.

[AHF]

Although hard to stomach, I think this is a fair post. I expected us to lose a few more games coming into the season than last year and to really judge the team on the playoffs. That should still be the standard.

That said, I can't remember the negativity on this team running this high for quite some time. We always saw the team as one with a brighter future through the rebuild but now the majority seem to view us as having reached our essential peak (2nd round playoff ouster).

If we don't show in the playoffs, it is going to be an ugly offseason.

[NineOhTheRino]

Let's see how they perform vs a Bulls team that will be playing game 2 of a back-to-back tomorrow. No way anyone can rationalize a blowout under those conditions.

Edited March 21, 2011 by NineOhTheRino

[exodus]

Let's not forget that the Hawks had the easiest schedule in the league for the first half of the season.

[HawkItus]

Although hard to stomach, I think this is a fair post. I expected us to lose a few more games coming into the season than last year and to really judge the team on the playoffs. That should still be the standard.

That said, I can't remember the negativity on this team running this high for quite some time. We always saw the team as one with a brighter future through the rebuild but now the majority seem to view us as having reached our essential peak (2nd round playoff ouster).

If we don't show in the playoffs, it is going to be an ugly offseason.

As well it should be. It is tough to stomach, but we all knew going in this season was a show me season. The shackles have been released. Josh has been given freedom on offense, as well as Al. Joe has his money and security. The only player facing a contract issue is Jamal and if he was going to prove he deserved a new one from this team a career year should have followed. So far this has not worked. But, they still have the playoffs to determine their ultimate success or failure. Get to the 2nd round and win 3. Give us a compelling game 7 and perhaps we might have a reason to believe in this roster. I wouldn't except anything else if I was Sund.

[macdaddy]

Its not the losses its the way we lost. No team that even pretends to have championship aspirations should get blown out the way we have been getting blown out. The bottom line is your right, a win is a win and a loss is a loss. Its just the playoffs are looking bleak if we can't compete better than we have. I like your optimism though.

[HawkItus]

Let's not forget that the Hawks had the easiest schedule in the league for the first half of the season.

And they were on pace to another 50+ win season. What does it mean for the playoffs? I don't know.

[niremetal]

If you look at the Top 20 or so teams in Hollinger's rankings we have the toughest schedule in last 25% of games. You know who is second? Miami. Guess what our record is in the last 10? 4-6. Miami? 5-5. The difference is we lost to Miami and they beat us. Everybody is saying this and that about this team, but honestly we are just playing really good teams. We've won the games we should win in this stretch. All this while mixing in two new players and adjusting to the removal of a central piece to our recent success. Let's give Drew and the team the playoffs. Let that decide their fates. Who cares if we win a few games less than last year. The East is tougher at the top. And we've had way more injuries than last year. I'm not giving up on this team. Yes, they are flawed, but I saw a team that backed in to the playoffs take a giant to 7 games when they had no reason winning 1. You can't predict the future in the sports solely on the present.

Although hard to stomach, I think this is a fair post. I expected us to lose a few more games coming into the season than last year and to really judge the team on the playoffs. That should still be the standard.

That said, I can't remember the negativity on this team running this high for quite some time. We always saw the team as one with a brighter future through the rebuild but now the majority seem to view us as having reached our essential peak (2nd round playoff ouster).

If we don't show in the playoffs, it is going to be an ugly offseason.

Its not the losses its the way we lost. No team that even pretends to have championship aspirations should get blown out the way we have been getting blown out. The bottom line is your right, a win is a win and a loss is a loss. Its just the playoffs are looking bleak if we can't compete better than we have. I like your optimism though.

I agree with all three of these posts. We're playing tougher opponents right now, so a certain amount of adjusting needs to be done, and I'm not going to make my decision on LD and co. until the playoffs roll around. Also, don't forget that we have had a lot more injuries to work through this year compared to last year. Have we ever had 12 straight games this year where the top 6 in our rotation all were active? Woody's luck with injuries during the previous two seasons was rather remarkable.

That being said, I've had the misfortune of watching our recent games (although I turned off several of them midway through because things were going badly and I felt like I'd seen that movie before). Good teams don't play like we've been playing lately, regardless of whether they're playing the '98 Nuggets or the '96 Bulls. The team had been playing lazy, complacent, dumb basketball for 2 weeks before last night.

If the Hawks can consistently play like they did against Chicago on March 2 and Detroit yesterday, and if Smoove can keep his butt closer to the basket on offense (more on that in a bit...I've been meaning to do a post on that), then we seriously will be a threat to get to the ECF. If we can do the former but not the latter, then we have a good chance of winning the first round and winning a couple games in the second round (which would still be an improvement on last year). If we do neither, we'll get blown out of the playoffs for a third straight year.

[AHF]

Let's not forget that the Hawks had the easiest schedule in the league for the first half of the season.

I don't mind a worse regular season given the improvement in the East, our remarkable health last season, Crawford's career season last year, and the transition in both defensive and offensive systems...if it comes with a payoff for a more competitive post-season. Things aren't looking good in that regard, but until the post-season comes and goes, the most important metric is not yet on the table.

[Packfill]

I don't mind a worse regular season given the improvement in the East, our remarkable health last season, Crawford's career season last year, and the transition in both defensive and offensive systems...if it comes with a payoff for a more competitive post-season. Things aren't looking good in that regard, but until the post-season comes and goes, the most important metric is not yet on the table.

Let's be honest, the Hawks are entirely reliant on their jump shots falling. They are certaintly capable of riding a hot hand or two to a few victories.

Is it enough to win a 7 game series?

[AUhawksfan]

I agree that it isn't the losses themselves, it's getting blown out, the lack of heart, etc.

Our record against winning teams also bothers me. While Miami has the same stat against their favor, they have been competitive in many more of those games than we have.

[AHF]

Let's be honest, the Hawks are entirely reliant on their jump shots falling. They are certaintly capable of riding a hot hand or two to a few victories.

Is it enough to win a 7 game series?

To be fair to Larry Drew, it remains to be seen.

I can tell you this, though. We aren't getting any historically weak-sisters-of-the-poor Bucks' team like last year in the first round. If we make it to the second round it will be because we really stepped up our game from the last post-season.

[Buzzard]

To be fair to Larry Drew, it remains to be seen.

I can tell you this, though. We aren't getting any historically weak-sisters-of-the-poor Bucks' team like last year in the first round. If we make it to the second round it will be because we really stepped up our game from the last post-season.

No doubt AHF. Orlando, Miami, or Chicago. I think these next two games are critical as to how we will fair confidence wise in the playoffs. 1st up the Bulls then the 76ers, we could gain some confidence if we handle this two game stretch, or look really bad against two very good teams. Lose them both and Philly gains two games in the loss column as well.