Official Game Thread: Hawks - Wizards

[benhillboy]

It's one of those rare plays where it's flashy solely out of necessity. Wall was surely gonna erase that shot. The thing I've been most impressed with is the guys gang rebounding and following fast break attempts.

[Plainview1981]

It's one of those rare plays where it's flashy solely out of necessity. Wall was surely gonna erase that shot. The thing I've been most impressed with is the guys gang rebounding and following fast break attempts.

 

The teams rebounding has gotten better every month so far.

[buckeye242424]

What I've noticed, contrary to the past, our guys are smart. It starts with coaching.. I get that. But they're professional millionaires... They can do what they want, we've seen it. These guys are all about team. They're intelligent and supportive... It's awesome.

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

The Kyle Korver halftime interview for those of you that missed it:

And I do not own that video nor do I claim ownership of it for those that are sticklers for copyright claims... Edited January 13, 2015 by PSSSHHHRRR87

[enrique]

The Kyle Korver halftime interview for those of you that missed it:And I do not own that video nor do I claim ownership of it for those that are sticklers for copyright claims...

did you post it? I'm on my phone and don't see anything.

Thanks!

Go Hawks!

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

did you post it? I'm on my phone and don't see anything.

Thanks!

Go Hawks!

 

It may only show up on computer as I embedded it using HTML.

[Duff_Man]

I love how Kyle is all upset about missing one free throw.

 

"Doggoneit"

[macdaddy]

I love how Kyle is all upset about missing one free throw.

 

"Doggoneit"

 

Man that's hilarious.  I hope Korver can finish his career as a Hawk.   I never knew he was this kind of player before he came here.

[Guest]

Man that's hilarious. I hope Korver can finish his career as a Hawk. I never knew he was this kind of player before he came here.

I don't think he was this kind of player before he got here. I mean he was always a sharp shooter but I don't think his D was close to where it is today, and just his overall play.

[DS17Fanboy]

What I always noticed from watching the big soccer tournaments like the worldcup or championsleague, that its rarely the team with the most media-hyped stars that win the title, but the team playing the best team ball, from defense to offense, on a consistent basis. Well, that...and a deep bench, which again gets you that consistency.

 

I think its not much different in the NBA. Look at the past title holders. Spurs goes without saying. Some might say Duncan is a superstar, but he's long passed his prime. Miami had a great perimeter D and an offensive system cut out for Lebron, but look what he can do in a Cleveland situation. Yeah he's still a "superstar", but far away from winning a title with that team. Dallas also was just a band of nice veterans around Nowitzki, a semi-superstar. A franchise that had some seasons assembling some great star-players previously around Nowitzki, but it only started klicking in the play-offs once Carlisle got on board and did with allot less than Donnie Nelson in 2003 for instance. And before that Detroit.

 

OK LA...but they had a force of nature in Shaq, and they had Phil Jackson and his system working with allot of talented non-superstars along Kobe.

 

Atalanta, IMO seems to have gathered the most important ingredient when it comes to going all the way. The game against GS will be an interesting one to watch. I actually think Dennis could be a pain in the ass of Curry. Dennis has his problems with bigger PG's like Lowry, but does well against smaller scoring PG's. Maybe bud pulls a rabbit out of his hat for GS and lets Dennis face up against Curry.

[kurupt]

Nowitzki, a semi-superstar.

 

[DS17Fanboy]

OK I had a hard time saying that, but he's not on that Lebron, MJ, Kobe level "superstar" wise. A gamechanging franchise player he is. One perhaps more valuable than a "superstar". A guy that also posseses lots of fundamentals and makes other players better(reason why most his All-star apearences where due to the NBA coaches pick). I see him a notch beneath Tim Duncan, as Duncan won more and had better stats.

 

In other words: a big portion of what made him great, that wasnt so much nice stats, or just shooting in everyones face, was about how he was able to set picks, pass out of double-teams, and somehow having great defensive effeciency despite failing the eye-test.

 

Lots of that reminds me of the Hawks, not of "superstars", like Melo, Kobe, or Dwight Howard.

[nathan2331]

OK I had a hard time saying that, but he's not on that Lebron, MJ, Kobe level "superstar" wise. A gamechanging franchise player he is. One perhaps more valuable than a "superstar". A guy that also posseses lots of fundamentals and makes other players better(reason why most his All-star apearences where due to the NBA coaches pick). I see him a notch beneath Tim Duncan, as Duncan won more and had better stats.

In other words: a big portion of what made him great, that wasnt so much nice stats, or just shooting in everyones face, was about how he was able to set picks, pass out of double-teams, and somehow having great defensive effeciency despite failing the eye-test.

Lots of that reminds me of the Hawks, not of "superstars", like Melo, Kobe, or Dwight Howard.

I'd say the NBA for years has been the antithesis of European football up until recently. It used to be all about the talent a team had; a team full of galacticos like Real Madrid and decent coaching would make you winners. I'd say what the Hawks are doing is bucking that tend focusing on chemistry and complete player cohesion to get results like you said. I'd call us the Atletico to the rest of the NBA's Real.

[DS17Fanboy]

I'd say the NBA for years has been the antithesis of European football up until recently. It used to be all about the talent a team had; a team full of galacticos like Real Madrid and decent coaching would make you winners. I'd say what the Hawks are doing is bucking that tend focusing on chemistry and complete player cohesion to get results like you said. I'd call us the Atletico to the rest of the NBA's Real.

Why not "the Germany winning last worldcup of this NBA"...Atletico never wins anything, and the German squad doesnt have any real superstars either, and did well on many ocassions in the worldcups previously with no-name players but just by being a well oiled machine from top to bottom and where one superstar guy injured or not feeling it doesnt mean the end of the world.

[AHF]

OK I had a hard time saying that, but he's not on that Lebron, MJ, Kobe level "superstar" wise. A gamechanging franchise player he is. One perhaps more valuable than a "superstar". A guy that also posseses lots of fundamentals and makes other players better(reason why most his All-star apearences where due to the NBA coaches pick). I see him a notch beneath Tim Duncan, as Duncan won more and had better stats.

 

In other words: a big portion of what made him great, that wasnt so much nice stats, or just shooting in everyones face, was about how he was able to set picks, pass out of double-teams, and somehow having great defensive effeciency despite failing the eye-test.

 

Lots of that reminds me of the Hawks, not of "superstars", like Melo, Kobe, or Dwight Howard.

 

Dirk > Kobe

 

I agree he isn't on Duncan or Lebron's level but don't sell him short.  He was a beast during their title run.

[DS17Fanboy]

I use the term "superstar" as I think what it truly means, not as an ultimate measure of how good a player is, which is a term thrown around which is for a huge dosis just media hype to sell stuff and get average people interested. Kobe is that kind of guy, Dirk not.

 

Dirk is other things. Similar to Atlanta not being hyped, but being other things....

[AHF]

I use the term "superstar" as I think what it truly means, not as an ultimate measure of how good a player is, which is a term thrown around which is for a huge dosis just media hype to sell stuff and get average people interested. Kobe is that kind of guy, Dirk not.

 

Dirk is other things. Similar to Atlanta not being hyped, but being other things....

 

I use superstar to describe someone's impact on the floor.  I agree that Kobe has sold a lot more jerseys than Dirk.  I view Kobe as a better Allen Iverson.  He is very lucky he landed in LA and got surrounded by guys like Shaq, Gasol, Bynum, etc.  Dirk could fit in very well on any team.  It isn't a coincidence in my mind that after Dirk got adjusted to the league over his first two seasons, his teams won 50+ games every non-lockout year without another major star on the team until 2012 (11 straight years) while Kobe's team immediately plunged into a losing record and 3 straight sub-50 win seasons once Shaq left until he got Gasol, Odom and Bynum thanks to LA's then stellar front office.  Both these guys are older and lower impact now, but you still see Dirk as a positive influence and guy who is easy to build around while Kobe keeps on firing his low efficiency, high usage game and repelling anyone who could life the franchise out of its struggles.

[Guest]

Talking about the definition of a superstar is like counting the number of angels that can fit on the head of a pin.

[DS17Fanboy]

I use superstar to describe someone's impact on the floor.  I agree that Kobe has sold a lot more jerseys than Dirk.  I view Kobe as a better Allen Iverson.  He is very lucky he landed in LA and got surrounded by guys like Shaq, Gasol, Bynum, etc.  Dirk could fit in very well on any team.  It isn't a coincidence in my mind that after Dirk got adjusted to the league over his first two seasons, his teams won 50+ games every non-lockout year without another major star on the team until 2012 (11 straight years) while Kobe's team immediately plunged into a losing record and 3 straight sub-50 win seasons once Shaq left until he got Gasol, Odom and Bynum thanks to LA's then stellar front office.  Both these guys are older and lower impact now, but you still see Dirk as a positive influence and guy who is easy to build around while Kobe keeps on firing his low efficiency, high usage game and repelling anyone who could life the franchise out of its struggles.

You are making me a happy German camper saying all these great things about my biggest B-ball idol vs Kobe Bryant and I 100% agree with what your saying. I think you just misunderstood me.

 

Again, Im speaking against this superstar culture thats more about selling all kinds of stuff(not just jerseys, people need their stars in this pop-culture, and the NBA is primarily about making money for all sorts of commercial interests in and outside the NBA and need to speak to the lowest common denominator consumer primarily). Im arguing from a wanting the Hawks to succeed with what they got POV, which needed to break away from this superstar-culture and create a high BBIQ culture.

 

"Impact on the floor" doesnt make you a superstar. There is truckloads of impactful players who are no stars. And many stars have a bad impact on the court. Stats and spectacel make you a superstar.

 

Every other team has a superstar stat-wise, but every year you see only one team taking it all, and they all have in common playing top-notch team basketball from top to bottom on a consistent basis. The hawks have that main ingredient, which imo is not a superstar, but top-notch team basketball from top to bottom on a consistent basis...even on the championship-teams having "superstars", "semi-superstars", or HOF'ers long passed their prime they wouldnt have gotten all the way in this 500 best B-Ball players league without playing top-notch team basketball from top to bottom on a consistent basis.

Edited January 14, 2015 by DS17Fanboy