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Hawks BasketBlog
November 2007
Saturday December 1, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 2:28AM AFT on December 1, 2007
Well, here we are at the last game of the month of November. I don't know how I feel about the team's start, to be honest. Given the list of opponents we've played, 6-8 is certainly respectable. If you told me before the season started we'd be 6-8 going into tonight's game, I'd probably have taken it and felt pretty good about it. Yet at the same time, I feel somewhat unsatisfied. Maybe starting the season with huge wins over Dallas and Phoenix raised our expectations too high. Our CEO, Bernie Mullin, always says you're never as good as you look when you win, and you are never as bad as you look when you lose. So maybe we aren't world beaters, like we looked against the Suns and Mavs. But we also aren't nearly as bad as we looked in losses to Chicago and Seattle. Which begs the question - where are we? Certainly injuries (once again) have affected us. I don't know what we did to the gods of point guard karma that we are unable to keep any of them healthy, but it has hurt us. At present, we don't have a guard with a drive-and-dish game healthy enough to play, and in my opinion we would benefit from that more than anything else right now (offensively, anyway). Truthfully, so far we have seen the team fall prey to the same issues that plagued them last year - a vacillation (nice word eh?) of play from night to night, playing to the level of competition for better or worse. I don't mean to sound like a downer. In truth, despite the team's struggles, they are still very much in the thick of it. There is no doubt this team is by far the most talented of the Mike Woodson era, and is absolutely a threat to make the playoffs. In the first month, Al Horford has been outstanding, and looks to be a major competitor for Rookie of the Year honors. Marvin Williams has taken his game to a higher level, and has proven himself capable of being a legitimate second perimeter option to Joe Johnson. Josh Childress continues to do all the little things that make him one of the most valuable bench players in the NBA. Joe Johnson is the world class player we all know he is. Tonight's game against New Orleans will be a great test for the Hawks. Win, and the team finishes November with a 7-8 record, having finished with a 4-1 stretch, with a manageable schedule coming in December. The Hornets are a good team, but they are slumping of late (losers of four of their last five). Typically this season, the Hawks have been the team to get back on track against (see Washington, Seattle, Chicago). The Hawks need to come out tonight and play with desperation and intensity, or else the Hornets are going to win this game. That to me is the one thing that has to change more than anything else going forward - they've got to treat every game like an elimination game, or they are going to continue to see teams reach up and bite them. Come out to Philips tonight to root the team on and give them the kind of home-court advantage that was so instrumental in the big early season wins. All it takes is a couple wins, and all of a sudden everything will seem rosy again. Friday November 30, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 8:13PM AFT on November 30, 2007
I'll be back with more later today to talk about tonight's contest with New
Orleans, but for now, check out the links, and check out
our preview with
Jim Eichenhofer from Hornets.com.
Thursday November 29, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 8:48PM AFT on November 29, 2007
 Well, that was more like it. Certainly not a perfect game for the Hawks, but given that Marvin Williams was out and they were coming off their worst offensive performance all year, a 16-point win over a good Eastern Conference team like Milwaukee. A couple thoughts from last night to add to our postgame wrap up: - I think we need to get Al Horford the ball more on the blocks. He had his way last night with Andrew Bogut and Yi Jianlian, and I don't see many players out there who can stop him once he gets motoring towards the basket. I know he has had a bit of trouble with traveling, but I chalk that up to the fact that he is a rookie with an offensive game that is still a work in progress. The more comfortable he gets, the less that will happen. - Speaking of Yi Jianlian, this was the first chance I had to see him. He is definitely no dud - he has a great stroke from the perimeter and I can see him becoming an offensive force once he gets better acclimated to the pace of the game. But for those who wanted him at #3, I think the results of his battling with Horford should put that argument to rest. - It was good to see Royal Ivey back last night, but as much as I hate to say it (cause I love my former Longhorns), Mario West has been every bit as good as Royal was for us, and he gets bonus points for his off-the-charts athleticism. His dunk in the first quarter was one of the most electrifying plays of the whole night. The team will practice today, and hopefully work on recapturing the magic they had working in the 4th quarter against the Bucks for tomorrow night against the Hornets. Thursday November 29, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 1:48AM AFT on November 29, 2007
Last night was disappointing. There's really nothing else you can say about it. As I said yesterday, I don't view the Bulls as your garden-variety basement dweller, and they've had a ton of success at our expense of late - last night was their 12th straight over us. But I can't help but wonder - where has this team's offensive identity gone? Even in the two wins over Miami and Minnesota, the Hawks struggled to put the ball in the basket. The terrific distribution we saw at the beginning of the season in wins over Dallas and Phoenix seems to have fallen by the wayside, and even worse has been replaced of late by a consistent barrage of one-on-one basketball. It seemed like every shot the Hawks took last night was a contested jumper, and we failed to use the transition game to get easy layups and inside baskets. The sky isn't falling, and every team is going to have its ups and downs as an 82-game season plays out. But win or lose, the Hawks are more fun to watch when they are getting up and down the court, and the team's real strengths shine through when we don't get caught in an isolation-only offensive game plan. Losing to Chicago is nothing to be too broken up over - they are still a very talented team despite their record - but it's the way the Hawks went down that was particularly troubling. Milwaukee has typically been a faster paced team over the last few years, so maybe we'll see more of that tonight by necessity. Either way, something must be done to get these guys rollin again. Moving on - Lang Whitaker checked in today with his weekly column wondering some of the same things, but his optimism still seems mostly unfazed. Certainly, a win tonight and a strong showing offensively will make us all feel a whole lot better.
Tuesday November 27, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 8:23PM AFT on November 27, 2007
Tonight could be very important for the Hawks. I don't think the world will end
if we lose, but if we win - oh if we win! - it could be a very positive sign of
things to come.
Chicago makes me very nervous - 2-10 record aside. They are coming home off a six-game road trip, and I imagine they are going to be fighting mad to get their season back on track. A win over a team like that would be quite a feather in the Hawks cap, and gives the team a chance to finish the month with a winning record as they come home for a two-game home stand. Let's not get ahead of ourselves though. On paper, Chicago is every bit the team that nearly made the conference finals a year ago, despite the troubles they've had so far. And before we think they are out of it at present, remember they started 0-9 three years ago and still made the playoffs. Hopefully we'll see Zaza back tonight, but I don't anticipate we'll see Acie Law as he continues to rehab his ankle. Onto the links:
Hawks Undergo Extreme Uniform Makeover USA Today – Hawks-Bulls preview NBA.com – Photos of the Week; Josh Smith pictured Chicago Daily Herald - Skiles says Bulls need more speed up the floor; Bulls-Hawks previewed CBSSportsline.com - Essentials: Beasts in the East are few and far between; Al Horford mentioned Tuesday November 27, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 1:19AM AFT on November 27, 2007
Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving break, and is ready to get back to business. A big week for the Hawks - a road game at struggling Chicago (a team that has consistently owned the Hawks in the last few years), followed by home games against two very good teams in Milwaukee and New Orleans. Atlanta has put the disappointment of a three-game losing streak behind it with two consecutive come-from-behind wins on the road. A third against Chicago (in addition to winning donuts for everyone around the office) would be a huge step in the right direction. As I said today in the BasketBlog Weekly Podcast (co-hosted by Hornets.com's Jim Eichenhofer), I can't for the life of me understand why Chicago is playing so poorly right now. They have so much talent on that team, and were my pick preseason to come out of the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee and New Orleans should provide stern tests - both teams have gotten off to impressive starts, with each looking like playoff bound franchises so far. Hopefully this week, we'll see the Hawks offense get itself in gear a little earlier in the game than in the past few contests... Onto the links:
Thursday November 22, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 9:18PM AFT on November 22, 2007
A big win last night for the Hawks, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, stopping the bleeding after a three-game losing streak was huge, getting the team back on track with a winnable game at Minnesota coming up on Saturday.
Secondly, Atlanta needed a road win in the worst way. With 17 straight losses away from Philips Arena dating back to last season, the Hawks needed to prove to themselves that they could get it done in a hostile environment (though, judging by the empty seats on television, I don't know how hostile it really was). Winning in Miami has been a particularly difficult thing for the Hawks of late, as the team is only 2-13 at American Airlines all-time. Still, there is work to be done. The Hawks get a ton of credit here for rallying from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to get the win last night, and Josh Smith's block on Dwyane Wade in the closing seconds was a thing of beauty - it was the perfect mix of positioning, timing, and execution. But, for the Hawks to really get things turned around, they have got to find a way to get others involved in the offense late in the game. There is too much pressure on Joe Johnson right now to carry the load. JJ hit some huge shots last night (and did against Seattle on Friday as well), but they weren't "good" shots. Certainly, any shot that Joe takes is a good shot because of his talents, but they don't all have to be deep three-pointers with the shot clock winding down. Losing Joe for the last month of the season last year was good for the development of his teammates, and they need to draw on that experience to help him out when possessions become more critical in the late stages. Yes, we won last night, but the Heat still had several opportunities to reclaim the lead. The Hawks defense certainly deserves a ton of credit for their performance in the win, and if we can get the offense to match that level, then we'll see the Hawks pull out more victories in close quarters. Still, a win is a win, and this one came at an immensely important time, so I won't be too critical. Let's enjoy it for a couple days, have a good Thanksgiving, and then we'll get back to business on Saturday at Minnesota. Thursday November 22, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 8:16AM AFT on November 22, 2007
Atlanta Hawks (82) at Miami Heat (79)
Scoring by Quarters ATL - 21/16/19/26 - 82 MIA - 24/19/23/13 - 79 Individual Leaders Scoring ATL - J. Johnson - 22 MIA - O'Neal - 18 Rebounds ATL - 45 (Smith 11) MIA - 38 (O'Neal 10) Assists ATL - 14 (J. Johnson/Smith 4) MIA - 16 (Wade 5) -- The Hawks rallied from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit, and Josh Smith rejected Dwyane Wade's game-tying shot attempt with 3.9 seconds left to seal a thrilling 82-79 victory at Miami. The win snapped Atlanta's 17-game road losing streak (dating back to last season). -- Joe Johnson led the way with 22 points, while Josh Smith added 16, Marvin Williams scored 13 and Josh Childress had 11. Shaquille O'Neal's 18 paced Miami. -- After missing their first seven field goals and falling behind as many as 11, the Hawks rallied to within six (43-37) at the half. Atlanta cut it down to four late in the third, but the Hawks went into the fourth down down 10 (66-56). However, Atlanta wouldn't go away quietly, slowly cutting into the lead before taking a two-point lead with 6:43 left, and hanging on for the win. -- Atlanta improved to 2-13 all-time at AmericanAirlines Arena. -- Smith finished with his third double-double (16 pts/11 rebs) of the season, while Marvin Williams has now scored in double figures in all 11 games this season, extending the longest streak of his career. -- Tyronn Lue returned to the lineup after missing the San Antonio game with a groin strain, but Salim Stoudamire (right ankle sprain) and Lorenzen Wright (right hamstring strain) missed their second straight game, in addition to Acie Law (left ankle sprain) and Speedy Claxton (left knee). -- After Thanksgiving, the Hawks head back out on the road for a two-game midwest trip to Minnesota (Saturday, 8 p.m., 790 The Zone) and Chicago (Tuesday, 8:30 p.m., FSN South, 790 The Zone). Wednesday November 21, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 7:24AM AFT on November 21, 2007
San Antonio Spurs (95) at Atlanta Hawks (83)
Scoring by Quarters SA - 29/32/22/12 - 95 ATL - 20/24/21/18 - 83 Individual Leaders Scoring SA - Parker - 31 ATL - J. Johnson - 20 Rebounds SA - 39 (Oberto 10) ATL - 39 (Horford 8) Assists SA - 22 (Parker 9) ATL - 15 (A. Johnson 7) -- The Hawks fell behind as many as 24, rallied to cut the deficit to 10 in the fourth quarter, but couldn't get over the hump in a 95-83 loss to the defending world champion Spurs on Tuesday at Philips Arena. -- Joe Johnson led the way for the Hawks with 20 points, Marvin Williams added 16, while Al Horford and Josh Smith scored 11 apiece. -- With two blocks tonight, Smith moved past Dominique Wilkins and into sole possession of fifth place on the Hawks all-time blocked shots list (now at 590). -- Tony Parker scored 21 of his 31 points in the first half, as the Spurs built their first-half lead ... The Hawks went on a late third and early fourth quarter 12-0 run, sparked by Mario West's energy and the crowd of 17,025, to pull within 10. -- Manu Ginobili (19), Tim Duncan (13), Michael Finley (10) and Fabricio Oberto (10) also scored in double figures for the Spurs. -- The Hawks fell to 3-7 on the campaign, while the Spurs improved to 9-2. -- Tyronn Lue (groin strain), Salim Stoudamire (right ankle sprain) and Lorenzen Wright (right hamstring strain) all missed tonight's game, in addition to Acie Law (left ankle sprain) and Speedy Claxton (left knee). -- The Hawks head back out to the road for a Wednesday night matchup at Miami ( 7:30 p.m., FSN South, FSN South HD / 790 The Zone). Wednesday November 21, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 1:43AM AFT on November 21, 2007
Based on the way the season has gone so far, we have to like our chances tonight, right? Wins over Dallas and Phoenix, losses to Seattle and Washington. Who can figure it out? Big Bad San Antonio comes to Philips Arena tonight, and if the Hawks want to win, they are going to have to pull out all the stops much like they did in the two big wins at the beginning of the season. In speaking with Hawks assistant Bob Bender today in our
We've said it before, and we will say it again - the Hawks have to get into their transition game if they want to win tonight - a half-court battle goes entirely in the Spurs favor. Come out tonight and support the team in the last home game before Thanksgiving. Hopefully we'll have a lot to be thankful for after tonight (and tomorrow night in Miami). Onto the links: Monday November 19, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 10:53PM AFT on November 19, 2007
A tough, tough weekend for the Hawks. Kevin Durant's buzzer-beater in double
overtime sent the team to a hard-to-swallow loss (and caused me to suspend my
membership in the KD fan club for a few weeks in protest), then with no time to
recuperate from the devastation, they went to Milwaukee and fell there as well.
No excuses made here - Atlanta had every chance to win on Friday and didn't get the job done. Yes, the team was shorthanded, but every team deals with injuries throughout an 82-game season. The loss to the Bucks is more understandable, but either way the team now sits at 3-6 and is staring at back-to-back games against the last two NBA titlists (amazing to think the Heat won the title so recently; it feels so long ago to see them now). Every season has it's ups and downs, and this is the first real down for Atlanta. Let's see how the team responds - so far they have risen to the occasion when the big boys come a-callin'. The Hawks have their annual Thanksgiving event later this afternoon, hosting 75 boys from two area group homes – Turning Point and Potter’s House Homes For Children - for an afternoon of food and fun. The event is always a good way for the guys to remember how fortunate they are this time of year, and maybe that will help them refocus themselves for a tough stretch of games coming up. Onto the links from the weekend:
Sunday November 18, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 9:00AM AFT on November 18, 2007
Atlanta Hawks (96) at Milwaukee Bucks (105)
Scoring by Quarters ATL - 24/22/24/26 - 96 MIL - 23/34/19/29 - 105 Individual Leaders Scoring ATL - Smith - 38 MIL - Bogut/Redd - 21 Rebounds ATL- 38 (Horford/M. Williams 8) MIL - 44 (Bogut 10) Assists ATL - 21 (Johnson 9) MIL - 27 (Williams 10) -- One night after missing the Seattle contest due to a left quad strain, Josh Smith was all over the court in a career-high 38-point performance (career-best 13-22 FGs and 12-16 FTs), but the Hawks came up short in Milwaukee, 105-96. -- Leading after one (24-23), the Hawks saw the Bucks move ahead by 11 at the half (57-46) ... Atlanta crept back to within six through three (76-70) ... Late in the fourth, the Hawks got the deficit down to one three times, but couldn't finish the comeback. -- Joe Johnson added 14, and Tyronn Lue and Marvin Williams had 10 apiece ... Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd scored 21 each to lead Milwaukee. -- Smith also finished with 3 blocks tonight, tying Dominique Wilkins (588) for fifth place on the Hawks career blocked shots list in just 234 career games. -- The Hawks fell to 3-6 on the season, while Milwaukee is now 4-4. -- Atlanta hosts San Antonio on Tuesday at Philips Arena (7 p.m., FSN South, FSN South HD, NBA TV / 790 The Zone) before traveling to Miami for a Wednesday night matchup ( 7:30 p.m., FSN South, FSN South HD, NBA TV / 790 The Zone). Saturday November 17, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 1:54AM AFT on November 17, 2007
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).
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! Friday November 16, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 9:07PM AFT on November 16, 2007
Big game tonight for the Hawks against the Sonics - and I'll have more on it
later - but for now I'll just give a bit of an injury update. Acie is most
likely out for tonight, and Josh Smith presumably will be too (partially, I
assume, because the Hawks are on a back-to-back - I think we may see him
tomorrow at Milwaukee).
Onto the links: Thursday November 15, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 9:26PM AFT on November 15, 2007
A
nice win last night over Charlotte, a team that has given the Hawks fits
in the past, though hopefully not at too high a cost. Josh Smith said he was ok
after the game last night, so hopefully we'll see him back on Friday. Acie on
the other hand - it's pure speculation on my part, but given the way he was
helped off the court, I'd say he's probably going to need a little time to
recover. Hopefully I'll be able to get some more info on the situation, but for
now all we know is they are both game times decisions for tomorrow's game
against Seattle.
Great job all around by the team last night - I suppose it's easy to look good when you shoot nearly 60% as a team, but there is a reason the team shot so well. It wasn't like they were just bombing away from outside and having a great night. They were sharing the ball (to the tune of 29 assists), and they were getting to the rack for layups and fouls. I swear if we do that every game, we are going to be tough to stop no matter the opponent. Onto the links: Thursday November 15, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 1:11AM AFT on November 15, 2007
Sorry the blog has been so lax the last few days, I was out of town for a wedding and didn't get back until this morning (Long story short - I've been to roughly a billion weddings in the past two years, and this was finally the last one on my calendar until next May. No more toasts, no more cake, hopefully just some peace and quiet now and some winning basketball). Now I'm back, and dare I say I'm badder than ever. I've got so much, in fact, that it's going to require some bullets:
Alright, that's enough for now - don't want to give you too much to focus on at one time. Let's all just concentrate on the Hawks coming out firing on all cylinders tonight and picking up a crucial division win against the Bobcats, and finally - FINALLY - getting a season win over those guys. Game time is 7:00 ET, and if you can't make it to Philips you can catch all the action on Fox Sports Net. See you there! Wednesday November 14, 2007
Posted by: Kevin McCormack at 2:27AM AFT on November 14, 2007
Sorry for the lack of posts this weekend, your regular blogger Micah is at his 437th wedding this year. So read some Hawks links until he returns tomorrow:
AJC - NBA: HAWKS: Pachulia ready to go (C8) NBA.com Power Rankings Friday November 9, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 8:40PM AFT on November 9, 2007
The Hawks continue to battle the NBA's best teams tonight as they take on the
Celtics in Boston. So far everything seems to be working out exactly as the
Celtics planned, as the team has gotten outstanding production from their three
all-stars (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, in case you've been living
under a rock) on their way to a 3-0 record. I certainly wouldn't put it past us
to win given the teams we've beaten (and almost beaten) so far, but we are going
to have to bring our A game tonight to make it happen. The Celtics led the
Nuggets 77-38 at the half on Wednesday, so clearly they are playing at a very
high level right now.
A great story in the AJC today by Sekou Smith about Marvin Williams' start. I talked to him about it yesterday as well, and he seems to be taking it all in stride. All I know is if Marvin can provide that second perimeter option to Joe Johnson that teams have to worry about, scoring points will become much, much easier for the Hawks this season. Onto the links: Thursday November 8, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 8:53PM AFT on November 8, 2007
A great win last night at Philips. Marvin Williams was on fire, Josh Childress
was flying all over the court, and Josh Smith was a stat stuffer across the
board. It says something huge about this team to me that they could beat a team
like Phoenix on a night when Joe Johnson shoots 3-17 from the field.
We've got a long way to go in this season, but it's hard not to feel at least a little relieved that we earned a split in our first four games. Let's be honest - this team could have played well and still been 0-4 right now, and for a young team, that kind of confidence killer can be deadly. Instead, they have held serve, and as the schedule begins to ease up (so to speak - any given night in the NBA, you know the saying), hopefully the team will put a little distance between themselves and .500. Congrats are also in order to the fans, who showed up again in droves and made Philips Arena a true homecourt advantage last night. On with the links:
 Thursday November 8, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 4:34AM AFT on November 8, 2007
This just in - Phoenix Suns F/C Amare Stoudemire will miss his second straight game after sitting out last night's contest at Charlotte as well. Before we all go getting excited about dodging that bullet, keep in mind his absence made very little difference to the Suns last night when they pasted the Bobcats 115-83 on the road.
Yowsa. We haven't been able to get into our up-tempo offense the last couple games, but I have a feeling we'll have no choice but to run tonight. Maybe playing Phoenix is just what this team needs to get into some offensive rhythm. Tun in at 7:00 on SportSouth for all the action, or come on down to Philips. See you there! Wednesday November 7, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 8:17PM AFT on November 7, 2007
Tough loss last night in New Jersey. The offense just doesn't seem to be
clicking right now. There is some solace that can be taken in the fact that we
aren't playing well, yet are still in position to win, but only so much. Still,
we have to remember the big picture: we knew this was going to be a tough
stretch to start the season, and even a poor record several games into the
season would not be a death knell.
Tonight we play Phoenix, and hopefully their style will force the Hawks to pick up the pace a little, something the the team needs to do to try to get back into the rhythm they had going in the preseason. Still a few tickets left, but we are pretty close to a sellout, so get 'em while you can. Onto the links: Wednesday November 7, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 2:11AM AFT on November 7, 2007
The Hawks return to action tonight at New Jersey, site of last season's most exciting ending, Tyronn Lue's OT buzzer-beater on Feb. 4. So far the season has had a pretty high high with the win over Dallas on opening night and a pretty low low with the last-second loss at Detroit. How will they respond tonight? Bob Rathbun made an excellent point on our podcast on Monday - this team has to show it can win on the road before we can truly anoint them contenders. Dating back to last season, Atlanta has lost 14 straight away from Philips Arena. Now a lot of that can be explained by the injuries the team suffered through towards the end of 06-07, and the Hawks certainly came achingly close on Sunday, but until there is a notch in the win column, it's something that will hang over us. The Nets come into tonight's game with a 2-1 record, but were blown out by Toronto in New Jersey 106-69 on Friday. Clearly, they aren't invincible at home. To win tonight the Hawks will need to slow down Jason Kidd and Vince Carter (naturally), but they can't sleep on Richard Jefferson either. RJ is fifth in the NBA in scoring so far at 26 ppg, the highest of his career at almost ten points over his career average. This is a game we can win, but we've got to avoid the turnovers that killed us against Detroit and allowed Dallas to get back in the game on Friday as well. Limit them, and we may find ourselves in good shape to weather this opening salvo the scheduling gods have lobbed at us. Game time is 7:30 ET on SportSouth - check it out! Tuesday November 6, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 7:39PM AFT on November 6, 2007
Monday November 5, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 11:30PM AFT on November 5, 2007
Saturday November 3, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 8:42AM AFT on November 3, 2007
 Well, that wasn't half bad, was it? The Hawks showed (albeit in only one game) that the promise of the preseason was not a fluke, taking down the big bad Dallas Mavericks 101-94 Friday night in the season-opener at Philips Arena. The win broke an eight-year losing streak on opening night, the longest in the league (Hey, what else have the Hawks not done in eight years that's longest in the league? I guess we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves). Atlanta won tonight for several reasons. They won because Joe Johnson can score any time he wants from anywhere on the court. They won because the team's plethora of forwards, so often the ridicule of sportswriters and fans across the league, are all capable of grabbing boards. They won because of depth. And finally, they won because they refused to make the mistakes that have so often led to late-game meltdowns in the past. Everyone who played tonight contributed. The usual stars made their usual big plays (JJ pretty much carried the team in the 3rd quarter, and Josh Smith was a large reason for the team's big early lead), but guys like Shelden Williams and Tyronn Lue made giant contributions down the stretch that were every bit as crucial. After leading by as much as 16 early in the second quarter, the Hawks trailed by one to start the fourth. A quick basket by Jose Juan Barea upped it to three, and some may have thought the rout was on. But T-Lue came right back to hit a big three, and the Hawks never trailed by more than a pair the rest of the way. It's only one game, but it's hard to come away from Friday night's win and not be excited about the team's potential for 2007-08. It's also hard not to get misty thinking about the Hawks' two rookies, both of whom showed great signs of things to come in the opener. Al Horford just missed his first career double-double, finishing one point shy with 9 points and 10 rebounds - a feat he'd have easily accomplished had he not been in foul trouble for most of the game. Acie Law was impressive in spurts as well, but he too succumbed to fouls. Most importantly, both looked fearless and not at all like newbies getting their first game-action in the regular season. Tonight's win was huge for the team's confidence, but there is work left to be done. The opening slate to the season doesn't get any easier, and the Hawks will need every ounce of the intensity and determination they showed tonight if they want to rack up wins in upcoming games at Detroit, New Jersey, and Boston or at home to Phoenix and Washington. Still, this was a win worth relishing, and I know that's exactly what I'm going to do until the ball jumps on Sunday at the Palace in Auburn Hills. Friday November 2, 2007
Posted by: Micah Hart at 11:03PM AFT on November 2, 2007
Tonight's the night. All the build up from the off-season, the draft, summer league, the preseason, it all culminates tonight when the Hawks take the floor against the Mavericks in the season opener at Philips Arena. I for one cannot wait. It feels like the season has been going on for months already, even though it's only been three days since opening night. I know I have been the eternal optimist with this team, but I'd like to lay out once and for all my feelings about the upcoming season. We are going to the playoffs. Do I know for sure that will happen? No. Am I going to make a season-ticket guarantee like we've done in these parts in the past? No. But I will list for you a few reasons for my optimism. 1. The lessons the team learned in Joe Johnson's absence last year. The first time Joe got hurt last year, it started the team on a complete tailspin. They were so dependent on him to save them in times of peril, they were almost frozen when he became unavailable. When he hurt his calf against Miami on March 7 and ended up missing the rest of the season, the season felt lost. And even though the team finished well out of the playoffs, the 21 games he missed were a terrific opportunity for the rest of his teammates to grow - especially Josh Smith. As Joe said when I talked to him today after shootaround, his absence last year forced his teammates into situations they hadn't been in before, and that experience will help them immensely. For all of the talk about the team's lack of production at the point and inside, the biggest weakness this team has had the last few years has been the inability to close out games. Hopefully, the experience of trying to win games on their own, without being able to just give the ball to JJ and get out of the way, will contribute to winning more of those games in 2007-08. 2. The rookies. I firmly believe that someday we will look back on the 2007 NBA Draft as a crucial turning point for the Hawks franchise. So many things had to fall into place for the team to end up where they were, at #3 and #11. The Pacers fell apart. The Hawks moved up in the lottery (something they'd only done once before). The two players they needed, Al Horford and Acie Law, were both available when the Hawks were on the clock. Nothing that I've seen so far in summer league and preseason has made me feel any different about the two of them as players. Horford gives the Hawks the post option the team has been missing, both offensively and defensively, and Law is exactly the kind of fiery leader they have been lacking. Maybe they won't dominate right out of the gate (though Horford might), but I firmly believe each of them will be playing significant minutes for the Hawks in the future, and will be instrumental pieces to the team's resurgence. 3. Continuity. I've said it here many times before, but I'll repeat it quickly. Continuity and on-court chemistry is vital to success in the NBA. Most of the Hawks key players have been together for two or three seasons now, and have built up a trust in each other during that time. They know where their teammates' strengths and weaknesses lay (lie?). That kind of rapport can't be translated into statistics, but it will show up in the standings. 4. This town is due. Strangely, I truly believe this will affect the team's performance. Atlanta is karmically deserving of an exciting team to rally around. There's a water shortage. The Braves are down. The Thrashers are working their way out of an early hole. The Falcons...we won't even go there. Something needs to break right for this city, and the Hawks are in perfect position to step up. One of the great things about a young team is that almost every player on the squad has a career arc that is still on the way up. Most teams, you can look at their roster and say, "Well, Player X did this last year, but he may not be able to replicate that again." Of the guys in the regular rotation for the Hawks, I don't think there is a single player that we can't reasonably expect to play better than they did a year ago. Maybe Joe, but that's only because he was so spectacular. I don't think it's stretching the truth to say that I anticipate Josh Smith, Josh Childress, Marvin Williams, Solomon Jones, Shelden Williams, Zaza Pachulia, et al, to outperform their production from a year ago. It's entirely possible, given how young they are and their tenures in the league. The Eastern Conference is wide open this season. If the Hawks bring the effort on a night in and night out basis, they have a chance to do something special. And I for one say they will.
Posted by: Kevin McCormack at 7:23PM AFT on November 2, 2007
The PR folks just sent along a press release that I'm going to post here. Bottom line, tonight's game is sold out, but if you STILL need tickets, there are a few standing room only tix available. Also, with the sell-out comes increased traffic, so give yourself some time before getting down to the arena tonight.
**** TONIGHT’S ATLANTA HAWKS’ HOME OPENER SOLD OUT! Limited Standing Room Only Tickets Available ATLANTA (Nov. 2, 2007) -- The Atlanta Hawks’ home opener tonight against the Dallas Mavericks (7:30 p.m.) is officially sold out, according to Atlanta Hawks Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Lou DePaoli. Based on the demand for tonight's game, the Hawks are offering a limited number of standing room only tickets which can be purchased by visiting www.hawks.com or going to the Philips Arena Box Office. The arena doors for tonight's will open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7:30pm tip-off, and fans are encouraged to arrive early to witness the exciting opening night festivities, as the team enters its 40th season in Atlanta, and to avoid any potential traffic delays. The Hawks are coming off of a 7-1 preseason record, their best exhibition season mark in 24 years. |
Tonight's game is a tale of two rookies - at least for me.
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. 