2008-09 Atlanta Hawks Thread

[wilson]

Well, the Lakers pulled it out last night against the Mavs, so the Hawks remain one of two undefeated NBA teams, rather than the last one (and with their 2nd road game in two nights in Boston this evening, I fear they won't be the last undefeated team). But who saw this coming? I, for one, was quite encouraged by last season's result, but with the loss of Josh Childress and the re-signing of Mike Woodson, I expected the team to take a step back this season, or at least to stay steady with last year's results while watching a few other squads pass them by.
And it's not as if the Hawks have reeled off six straight against a cupcake schedule: they have won against three playoff teams from last year, including road Ws against defending division champ Orlando and lots of people's preseason darlings, the New Orleans Hornets. The final victory against a playoff team came against the 76ers, who have clearly upgraded with Elton Brand.
The next two to three weeks, without Josh Smith, will be telling. The Hawks' most glaring weakness is a lack of depth, and Smith is the engine that often drives the machine at both ends of the court. Maurice Evans and Ronald Murray, however, have been surprisingly productive off the bench thus far, more than making up for Childress's production last season while actually allowing the team to go one guy deeper into the reserves.
And let's not forget Al Horford, who has been an absolute beast again so far (27 points, 17 boards, and 6 blocks last night in Chicago!).
So, how far can this team go? I think the lack of depth will catch up to them in the spring, but the franchise definitely appears to be still headed upward, and I think a top-4 playoff seed is within reach.

[JasonEvans]

I would have laughed at the notion of a top-4 seed in the preseason. Heck, I would have thought another playoff birth would be a stretch considering the improvement of teams like Philly, Miami, and Chicago, as well as the effect of a coach with a brain in NY.

So, I sit here stunned.

The best thing is that this team is doing it with defense. They play hard and play smart. It is actually good basketball to watch. They still seem to have barely a clue on offense aside from "clear out for Joe!" but at least the D seems strong.

Al Horford is turning into an all-star -- the only question is whether it will take him another year or two to formally be recognized as such. If you had to go back and re-draft the 2007 draft, would you take Horford #1? I'd consider it, for sure.

I hope they can maintain some momentum over Josh Smith's injury. That kid is an amazing help defender and his pure athleticism can bail out other mistakes as well as anyone in the league. Scary to think about the fact that he is only 22 years old**. Imagine how good he will be in a couple years!!

The short bench is a real issue. This team succeeds while playing their best players 40+ minutes per game and that can really take a toll over a 82+playoffs game season. I want Bibby, JJ, Smith, and Horford to have something in the tank in March, April, and May.

Well, we shall see. For now, I am just enjoying the ride.

--Jason "**--Lebron is just 23... uhhhh... WOW" Evans

[Lavabe]

Yesterday, OTL did a feature on Josh in Greece.

He's doing fine out there, and Atlanta seems to be fone without him. GO FIGURE!

Cheers,
Lavabe

[dukegirlinsc]

Not so much a Hawks fan, but I do enjoy watching them play. For some reason I've always been a big Al Horford fan.

[Lavabe]

Yesterday, OTL did a feature on Josh in Greece.

He's doing fine out there, and Atlanta seems to be fone without him. GO FIGURE!

Cheers,
Lavabe

err, umm... FINE without him.
Seriously, this might be a win-win situation for both sides. The weird thing is, he now plays in arenas that hold a couple thousand max.



Cheers,
Lavabe

[RainingThrees]

Joe Johnson has to be one of the most underrated players in the NBA.

[wilson]

Joe Johnson has to be one of the most underrated players in the NBA.

And the Hawks' starting five is likewise probably the most underrated in the league, not to mention one of the five or so best.

[RainingThrees]

The problem the Hawks will eventually have is their lack of depth. They don't have very good back-ups and the loss of Childress will come back to bite them.

[wilson]

The problem the Hawks will eventually have is their lack of depth. They don't have very good back-ups and the loss of Childress will come back to bite them.

Right (see my above comments). But there are some really nice pieces there for the future. This is by no means an old team, and who knows? The management has been kind of getting it together, so maybe we'll even have a draft pick next spring!

[RainingThrees]

Hawks no longer undefeated. Lakers still are.

[wilson]

Some questionable officiating toward the end of tonight's Hawks-Celtics tilt, but the Hawks had some chances on which they didn't capitalize. Still, they were right there, shorthanded, on the road vs. the defending champs. I think it was an incredibly encouraging performance for the team. In the grand scheme, nothing but a positive in my eyes.

[billybreen]

I'm really bummed I opted not to watch tonight's game.

[EarlJam]

Some questionable officiating toward the end of tonight's Hawks-Celtics tilt, but the Hawks had some chances on which they didn't capitalize. Still, they were right there, shorthanded, on the road vs. the defending champs. I think it was an incredibly encouraging performance for the team. In the grand scheme, nothing but a positive in my eyes.

I'm not normally an "endorser" of moral victories, but tonight was most certainly a moral victory. And the venue where I was watching the game was filled with people energized over the Hawks. All a good sign.

Great game. Go Hawks!

-EJ

[Lavabe]

Well, the Lakers pulled it out last night against the Mavs, so the Hawks remain one of two undefeated NBA teams, rather than the last one (and with their 2nd road game in two nights in Boston this evening, I fear they won't be the last undefeated team). But who saw this coming? I, for one, was quite encouraged by last season's result, but with the loss of Josh Childress and the re-signing of Mike Woodson, I expected the team to take a step back this season, or at least to stay steady with last year's results while watching a few other squads pass them by.
And it's not as if the Hawks have reeled off six straight against a cupcake schedule: they have won against three playoff teams from last year, including road Ws against defending division champ Orlando and lots of people's preseason darlings, the New Orleans Hornets. The final victory against a playoff team came against the 76ers, who have clearly upgraded with Elton Brand.
The next two to three weeks, without Josh Smith, will be telling. The Hawks' most glaring weakness is a lack of depth, and Smith is the engine that often drives the machine at both ends of the court. Maurice Evans and Ronald Murray, however, have been surprisingly productive off the bench thus far, more than making up for Childress's production last season while actually allowing the team to go one guy deeper into the reserves.
And let's not forget Al Horford, who has been an absolute beast again so far (27 points, 17 boards, and 6 blocks last night in Chicago!).
So, how far can this team go? I think the lack of depth will catch up to them in the spring, but the franchise definitely appears to be still headed upward, and I think a top-4 playoff seed is within reach.

All of this discussion lacks one crucial mention:

No Billy Knight.

Who wound up taking over as GM?

Cheers,
Lavabe

[JasonEvans]

All of this discussion lacks one crucial mention:

No Billy Knight.

Who wound up taking over as GM?

Former Sonics GM Rick Sund. He did a lousy job in Seattle so I am none too encouraged about him in Atlanta.

What is happening right now to the Hawks is the result of sucking for so long that you have to eventually get some good players through the draft no matter how hard you try to screw it up.

-Jason "last night was a great game!" Evans