Tonight's game is a tale of two rookies - at least for me.

I may be more excited about tonight's home game than any we will play all season. I can't help it, I freely admit my bias - I am a Texas grad and I cannot wait to see Kevin Durant in the flesh. Perfect world? He scores 40 but the Hawks win comfortably.

My friends ask me if I wish we'd ended up with the #2 pick in last year's draft so we could have added him, and honestly, I tell them no. Of course I would love to watch a guy with his talents play on a nightly basis, and I fervently believe he will become of the league's best and most exciting players in the very near future, even the kind of player a franchise can build around.

Kevin Durant is a tremendous talent, as Hawks coach David Fizdale told us today, but it's been obvious so far (granted, only nine games into his professional career) that he has a long way to go before he is a dominant, game-changing force. He is certainly putting up terrific numbers, but they haven't been efficient ones. He is shooting roughly 7-19 from the field on average, and his rebounding and assist totals to this point haven't been making up for his erratic stroke.

I am nitpicking of course - Durant isn't playing particularly well, yet he is still averaging 20 points a game.

But for this Hawks team? Give me Al Horford. These Hawks need to win today, and there is no doubt in my mind that of all the rookies available at any draft slot in 2007, he was the most ready to produce in a meaningful way, in a way that helps put notches in the win column. Maybe Durant is the guy you want two or three years down the road, but Horford is clearly the guy you want for today (and honestly, I'm not certain Durant will be the clear choice in a few years - or he will be in the way you might prefer having T-Mac on your team instead of Elton Brand).

Horford isn't flashy (though I admit I get chills watching him get out and lead the break), but he is a fundamentally sound player who so far is providing exactly the kind of stability on the interior the Hawks have been missing.

So tonight I will be happily cheering on Durant, the former UT phenom, and wishing him all the best. But I expect he'll be going home a loser, and I guarantee our man Horford will have a say in making that so.

Tonight is an important game for Atlanta, a "winnable" game against a young team that, much like Wednesday's game against Charlotte, is a must for a team with playoff aspirations. And, given that it's the front end of a back-to-back, it's crucial the team come out with energy early and hopefully build a lead that will allow the team to save some energy for tomorrow's contest in Milwaukee.

A win tonight, and the Hawks are back to level ground, erasing the start that saw the team tour the best the NBA had to offer. A loss, and now you are looking at a tough stretch with road games against Milwaukee and Miami (with Wade back in the lineup) and a home date with the champion Spurs.

Atlanta got it done against the Bobcats, shaking off the effects of a lethargic effort on Sunday against the Wizards. Another strong effort tonight, and the team really starts to build some positive momentum.

Game time tonight is 7:30 ET. Still tickets available, so come out and support the team if you can.

See you there!

UPDATE: Ok, that really didn't turn out as I'd hoped. I am officially taking a two-week hiatus from being a Kevin Durant fan. Boo Durant!