We are now the hunted!

[Wurider05]

Make no mistake about teams will now be gunning for us now. We are not the lowly Hawks anymore.  Now teams are going to try and build there reps on us.  How does this change our approach?

[Guest]

It doesn't change the approach. Bud said it perfectly, he doesn't care what other teams are doing, the focus is on the Hawks and what they are supposed to do to get ready to play. Get better every game.

[benhillboy]

I don't think it changes much. It's gonna take the league at least a year to wrap their heads around us setting the standard.

Not having a villain and our general likability like Big Brother Spurs doesn't lend itself to opposing teams "getting up" for us. Or look at last year's Pacers. Like us, nowhere near a flagship franchise and while they did have a marquee player in PG he's still a ways from "superstar who gets too much attention we have to defeat" level. Teams didn't really play up for them. They usually allowed them to suffocate them on D and run thier little set plays for whoever's number was called.

The team isn't hunted IMO. Kyle on the other hand has been hunted and gameplanned against since he got here, which hasn't turned out well for most teams anyway. The Clippers are hunted and they haven't done anything, teams just hate the "Lob City" moniker and Blake. We'll continue to fly under the radar as much as a Conference Leader possibly could, as the braintrust planned.

Edited January 9, 2015 by benhillboy