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Hawks BasketBlog
November 2008
Sunday November 30, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 7:48AM AFT on November 30, 2008
Atlanta Hawks (10-6) at Washington Wizards (2-12)
November 29, 2008 Score by Quarters (Half) ATL - 28/27 (55) - 25/22 (47) -- 102 Wash - 17/28 (45) - 26/27 (53) -- 98 Leading Scorers ATL - Bibby 21 Wash – Jamison 26 Leading Rebounders ATL (40) - Horford 13 Wash (42) – Jamison 13 Leading Assists ATL (24) – Horford 6 Wash (22) - Two w/5 -- The Atlanta Hawks pulled out a 102-98 win in Washington on Saturday, behind a balanced scoring attack and clutch shooting, improving to 10-6 overall and 5-5 on the road. -- The Hawks got off to a red-hot start, taking a 28-17 lead after one behind 11-16 FG shooting ... Atlanta held a 55-45 advantage at the half, as Bibby was a perfect 6-6 en route to 17 points ... Ahead by as many as 17 in the third, the Hawks saw the Wizards battle back to tie the game with 1:10 remaining ... But Al Horford converted a huge old-fashioned three-point play with 12 seconds left to secure the win. -- Mike Bibby led the Hawks with 21 pts, followed by Horford (19 pts/13 rebs), Mo Evans (19 pts/9 boards), Joe Johnson (18) and Marvin Williams (14) ... Solomon Jones tied a career-high with five blocks (fourth time). -- The 10-6 mark is Atlanta's best through 16 games since a 14-2 mark in 97-98 ... The Hawks won their 5th road game last season on Dec 21 at Washington. -- The start is the Hawks' fourth-best since 1990. -- Josh Smith missed his 12th straight game due to a sprained left ankle, and is expected to return to action next week. -- The Hawks' next game is Wednesday, when Memphis travels to Philips Arena (7 pm, no TV, 790 The Zone). Saturday November 29, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 7:21AM AFT on November 29, 2008
Atlanta Hawks (9-6) at Toronto Raptors (8-7)
November 28, 2008 Score by Quarters (Half) ATL - 21/29 (50) - 15/23 (38) -- 88 Tor - 24/22 (46) - 23/24 (47) -- 93 Leading Scorers ATL - Bibby 24 Tor – Bosh 30 Leading Rebounders ATL (44) - Pachulia 17 Tor (41) – Bosh 10 Leading Assists ATL (23) – Johnson 7 Tor (26) – Calderon 11 -- The Hawks fought back time and again, only to come up short in the end, 93-88 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Friday. -- Atlanta hit just 7-21 FGs in the first, but trailed by just three (24-21) at the close of the period ... Down as many as 12 (35-23) in the second, the Hawks stormed back to take a four-point halftime lead (50-46) ... Bibby had 15 in the half, while the Hawks made 6-13 from downtown ... But Toronto came back to take a 69-65 advantage after three, as Bosh had 15 in the third period ... Toronto extended the lead to 10 in the fourth quarter, but Atlanta again rallied to within three at 91-88, but couldn't get over the hump. -- Milke Bibby put in 24 points on 9-14 FGs (4-7 from downtown), while Joe Johnson added 18, Mo Evans scored 17 and Al Horford and Marvin Williams had 10 apiece. -- Zaza Pachulia corraled 17 rebounds in 23 minutes of action, including eight on the offensive glass. -- The Hawks finish the back-to-back set in Washington DC tomorrow night against the Wizards (7 p.m., SportSouth, 790 The Zone). Friday November 28, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 9:20PM AFT on November 28, 2008
I hope everyone is enjoying the Thanksgiving break and got lots of turkey and
stuffing yesterday. And while most of us get to continue to relax through the
weekend, the Hawks are back at it tonight in Toronto as they face a Raptors team
they took behind the woodshed back on Nov. 7. I expect the Raptors will be
hungry to atone for that game, so the Hawks will need their A game tonight if
they want to get a win.
In roster news, Josh Smith is back on the practice court, as he rehabs from the ankle injury that has held him out since the first Raptors game. He isn't traveling on the back-to-back, but hopes to play next Wednesday when the Hawks host the Grizzlies at Philips Arena. I maintain that as long as he is back for the trip through Texas, then all will be good. Alright, that's it for me, I'm off to make a delicious leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich. Enjoy the rest of the weekend, and make sure to catch the Hawks tonight at 7:00 against the Raptors (FS South) and tomorrow at the same time against the Wizards (SportSouth). UPDATE: I goofed - Josh is with the team, but unlikely to see the court. If that changes, I'll keep you posted.
Tuesday November 25, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 2:42AM AFT on November 25, 2008
After a deserved day off yesterday, the Hawks were back on the practice court today as they prepare for the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. Joe Johnson missed part of the action just to make me nervous, but word on the street is he was just receiving treatment and he's good to go. Wheew. Saturday's loss at Cleveland was pretty rough, and for the most part, the less said about it the better. There were a couple bright spots even still though, particularly the play of Acie Law, who put up the best stats of his career with 20 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds. I will grant that most of that came with the game already decided, but he still has to be pleased with how he performed. And in fact, he was. Acie has been solid of late off the bench, and I hope that will translate to more minutes for him in the future. With Mike Bibby in the last year of his contract, the more we know about what Acie is capable of, the better off we are. Another guy who has raised his performance of late has been Marvin Williams. In the BasketBlog Weekly Podcast I recorded today with ace beat reporter Sekou Smith, we talked about how well Marvin has stepped up his game in the absence of Josh Smith, and discussed the probability that he will keep it up once Josh gets back. Obviously we are optimistic he will, but one point Sekou brought up that makes me salivate is the notion that an offshoot of Marvin's improved prowess on the perimeter will be the affect it will have on Smoove - namely, that it will push him closer to the basket on offense (where we all want to see him) and keep him from having to take so many jump shots. If that happens, I think the Hawks become much more dangerous offensively. Speaking of Josh Smith, I too have no news, though I am more anonymous around town than Sekou is. If we can have him back before the Texas trip, that'd be good enough for me. Saturday November 22, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 9:48AM AFT on November 22, 2008
Here is what I like about this Hawks team so far this season. Generally speaking, they find a way.
In games against Oklahoma City, Washington, and now Charlotte, the Hawks let inferior teams hang around too long and nearly let the win slip away. And yet, they didn't. Whereas in the past the Hawks might have lost at least one if not several of those games, this year's squad has kept its poise, played tough D when it mattered, and hit clutch shots down the stretch to come away victorious. Yeah, I wish these games had been 20-point blowouts (Josh Smith or no Josh Smith), but a one-point margin of victory counts just as much 30. It is possible that playing down to the level of the opposition will come back to bite this team in the rear at some point. At the same time, the lessons learned by winning ballgames in the final minutes will come in handy, no matter who the competition is. In the meantime, the Hawks pick up a second straight home win, running their mark to 4-1 at Philips on the season. Joe was pretty much Joe (30 points and 8 assists), Bibby was Bibby (three huge 3's in the fourth quarter to keep the Hawks in front), and for the second straight game, Marvin Williams was a difference maker. Posting his second straight double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds, Marv got most of his points around the basket while mixing in a couple jumpers and what is quickly becoming his trademark this season, the dagger three from the corner in a late-game situation. Seriously, if Marvin can keep this kind of effort up, even proportionally, when Josh Smith gets back? This team could be really dangerous. Congrats on the win guys - go get 'em tomorrow night in Cleveland. Saturday November 22, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 2:36AM AFT on November 22, 2008
I realize we are 7-4 right now, which if I do my math correctly, means we've played 11 games, but since the season is 82 games long, I'll just use the first 11 as one block, go 11 on the next, and then we'll stick to 10 the rest of the way out. In looking back at the first 11 games, I'm going to be as honest as I can about what I thought would happen since we didn't start this before the season, but then going forward we can just refer back to the previous 10-game predictions. So, without further ado: Season-Opening Stretch Expectations Going In: I realize this is revisionist, but given the team's performance on the road historically, and given the caliber of teams we were playing, I wouldn't say I had incredibly high hopes for the team's record over the season's first stretch. In my mind, I thought we'd beat Philly, Toronto, OKC, sweep the Nets, and beat Washington. I figured Indy for a toss-up, and I figured we'd lose in Orlando (home opener and all), New Orleans (Paul had never lost to us), Chicago, and Boston. So, Predicted Record: I'd say about 6-5. What Happened?: As we all know, this season started in a far different
manner than we expected. The team proved their mettle early on with terrific
defensive performances which led to unexpected road wins against the Magic,
Hornets, and Bulls, pushing the team to 6-0 going into the grudge match with the
Celtics in Boston. The team managed to win the last two of those games without
the services of Josh Smith, and while they were able to maintain their
level of performance without him for a couple games (and the loss to Boston as
well), his absence really began to impact the team once Devin Harris and
the Nets took the floor. Mike Bibby is a terrific guard for the Hawks,
but he has trouble staying in front of the quicker point guards in the league,
and without Smith behind him to deter players from driving into the paint, the
Nets took advantage in winning both games. The same thing pretty much happened
with TJ Ford and company in Indiana, though Al Horford's injury
contributed to the defensive issues there as well. A four-game losing streak
followed the 6-0 start, but the Hawks managed to stem the tide despite their
health issues by fending off Washington this past Wednesday. Injury Watch: Speedy Claxton has been out the whole season so far with a hamstring injury, Josh Smith has missed the past 7+ games with an ankle injury, Horford sat out a game with an ankle injury as well, and Zaza Pachulia missed a game with a shoulder injury that continues to hamper him. In Summary: There were ups and downs, and while I think some are inclined to feel a little pessimistic given the recent slide and near-loss to bottom-feeding Washington, I think overall we should be pretty happy. The early slate was brutal, and as Sund said on the radio this week, the Hawks didn't play a single game over the stretch that they didn't have to travel to first. Once the team got to 6-0 it was disappointing to give back some of that advantage, but still the team won more than they lost on the road (4-3), and I'll take that over any stretch of the season, period. Looking Ahead: Can The Hawks Mess With Texas? Expectations Going In: Look at those home games. None of those squads are better on paper than the Hawks, and as of now only the Knicks are looking like they'll compete for a playoff spot (and who saw that coming?). I don't think it's crazy to think we can win all four of those games. And the road games? Once again we see another road-heavy stretch, as 7 of the 11 are away from Philips. The Cavs game will be tough with the way they are playing right now, and the Raptors will be looking to pay us back for the beat-down we gave them at Philips on Nov 7. The Hawks can beat the Wizards and Heat on the road. The real interesting part of this particular stretch to me is the stop
through Texas, a trip that has been a Bataan Death March of sorts for the team
the last several years. In fact, checking my handy-dandy media guide, I see that
the Hawks have lost 4 straight in Dallas, 9 straight in Houston, and 10 straight
in San Antonio. That's brutal. Well guess what folks - you heard it here first.
I predict that at least two of those streaks are coming to an end this season.
Yeah that's right, I said it. Watch out Dallas and San Antonio, the Hawks are
coming for you! In all seriousness, if Josh Smith is back healthy by then (the
Knicks game on Dec. 5 would be roughly a month), and the team can avoid any
other injuries (certainly not a guarantee), I don't think its wrong to think the
Hawks are a better team than the Mavs, and with Manu Ginobili and Tony
Parker out for the Spurs, they are pretty much a shadow of their former
selves. The new stretch begins tonight with the Bobcats in town, a team that has given the Hawks fits over the years despite a wide gap in talent. I don't think this Charlotte squad has the makeup to give Atlanta fits the way the other teams that beat them have, as they don't hit a lot of threes (24th in the league in 3-pt %) and don't really have a penetration game that will lead them to easy baskets (DJ Augustin is lightning fast, but Raymond Felton gets most of the minutes at the point). With yet another back-to-back on the slate, I hope it's not too much to ask for the Hawks to get hot early and put the Bobcats to bed so they can save a little energy for what should be a very good game tomorrow night at Cleveland. Of course it never works out that way, and if they get caught looking ahead, the Bobcats have certainly shown in the past they are capable of making them pay for it. Still, the law of averages says Joe Johnson isn't going to replicate his poor shooting performance from Wednesday's game against the Wizards, and I see him having a huge night to lead the team to victory. Join us at Philips for all the action, won't you? Friday November 21, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 11:02PM AFT on November 21, 2008
I'll get a little more in depth later on this afternoon, but I just wanted to share that I spoke with Al Horford today at shootaround, and he is definitely playing tonight. Get it straight from the horse's mouth.
Thursday November 20, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 11:33PM AFT on November 20, 2008
Fox Sports announced today they are putting both the Charlotte game on Friday and the Bucks game next Wednesday in HD.
So for anyone who is thinking of getting me an HDTV for my birthday coming up (I'll be 30! I'm old!), now is as good a time as any! Thursday November 20, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 1:54AM AFT on November 20, 2008
It's been emotional. That's all I can think to say right now about the Hawks' start to the season so far. An emotional rollercoaster for those of us who take each game wayyyy too personally. The six-game winning streak was phenomenal, especially as the final two games came without the services of Josh Smith. Hey, maybe we don't need him that badly, I said to myself. Look how we're surviving without him! Then of course we lost the Boston game at the last second, and the wind seemed to fall out of the sails a bit. New Jersey was able to take advantage of a tired Hawks squad, and it all culminated last night with the loss to Indiana, where the team defense just seemed to lose itself after Al Horford joined Smith on the sidelines with an ankle injury. Turns out, it's harder to win in this league when you aren't at full strength - who knew? Still, that's the hand the Hawks are dealt right now. With Smith out toinght and Horford a game-time decision (that's the latest word), the Hawks are going to have to figure out some way to keep teams from dropping 110+ on them going forward or they are going to be in trouble. The next two games are all of a sudden hugely important. At 6-4, there is no reason to panic, and with Washington (1-7) and Charlotte (3-7) coming to town, you'd like to think we can get healthy mentally (if not physically) against weaker competition. But it's going to require more than just waiting around for Joe Johnson to carry the team on his back, which seemed to be the case at times last night. JJ is a great security blanket, but what made this team successful to start the season was its ability to share the load, and they need to get back to that no matter who is available. I expect to see an angry Hawks team in action tonight - angry at themselves for their defensive lapses over the past week, and anxious to prove they are strong enough to survive the loss of their starting power forward and (possibly) starting center. Come down to Philips tonight and help this team get back on track! Update: Horford is indeed out for tonight, but hopefully he'll be back Friday for the Bobcats game Wednesday November 19, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 5:52AM AFT on November 19, 2008
The Hawks trail by 13 at the half to Indiana, and they are going to have to play some better defense if they want to get back in this one.
That may be a little tougher without Al Horford though, as James Verrett reported at halftime the Hawks starting center will miss the rest of the game with a right ankle sprain he suffered early in the first quarter. Hopefully Big Al won't be on the shelf for long - goodness knows the team is already shorthanded without Josh Smith. Randolph Morris, it's time to show what you can do... Tuesday November 18, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 2:19AM AFT on November 18, 2008
The calling card of the Hawks so far has been their ability to stay in games because of their defensive prowess. Even when the offense struggled, the ability to get stops and turn the other team's mistakes into points. At the end of practice today, Hawks coach Mike Woodson called his players out on it, but in a very calm, rational way. He mentioned the tough stretch of games the team has had lately (7 games in 11 nights), but said it doesn't get any easier (7 games in 12 nights coming up). That's just the way the schedule goes. He asked what he thought the team should do? Run more? Play guys less minutes? No matter how you slice it, he said, the effort and energy had to improve if the team wants to accomplish the goals they set out for themselves. Marvin Williams echoed the team's need to pick up its defensive effort as they start a stretch of 4 games in five night tomorrow night in Indiana. At 6-3, the team still sits in very good shape - but I will say that the absence of Josh Smith was noticeable in the losses to the Nets, as Devin Harris was able to penetrate the defense without consequence. The Hawks face a guard in TJ Ford for Indiana with a similar skill set as Harris, and they'll need Al Horford and Solomon Jones in particular to try to provide the roadblock to the basket normally provided by J-Smoove. A win in Indiana could be the perfect tonic for this team, as they face struggling opponents at home in Washington and Charlotte on Wednesday and Friday and could perhaps string together three more wins before they head to Cleveland to face LeBron James and the Cavaliers. Win all those games, and they start getting dangerously close to fulfilling Hawks sideline reporter James Verrett's prediction of a 13-3 start. Verrett joined me today on the BasketBlog Weekly Podcast, and he still stands by his prediction. Hey, if we won six straight to start the year, who's to say we can't win seven more? Saturday November 15, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 2:01AM AFT on November 15, 2008
Every stretch of the season has it's own unique challenges. After beating the Raptors to move to 4-0, the Hawks had to keep their focus and go to Oklahoma City to face a team they knew they should beat handily. Though it wasn't their best effort of the season, they did what was needed and came away victorious. Tonight finds the team in a similar situation. Atlanta sits 2-1 on the current road trip with a chance to really help the cause by winning both ends of this doubleheader. But they can't just waltz into New Jersey and take home a W. So far in 2008-09, the Hawks' focus has been the team's calling card. No one wins four straight on the road in this league without it, let alone come back from 23-point deficit against a playoff team. To keep up their current level of play, this team will have to stay sharp, especially given the known absence of Josh Smith and the potential absence of Zaza Pachulia (a game-time decision tonight with a shoulder injury). It's easy to put the two Nets games into the win column and think about how the schedule softens over the next few weeks, but that kind of thinking is what made this team so maddeningly inconsistent the last few years. We can only think about the Nets and how to beat them, then come back and do the same darn thing tomorrow. A couple notes before I head out: - Tomorrow night's game isn't on TV. The only way to see it is to come down to Philips Arena. Won't you please join us? - Sekou Smith points out that Wednesday night's Boston game posted a 3.9 rating, including a 6.73 for the fourth quarter, which is almost unheard of for a regular season game in November. To put it in perspective, the playoff games last year averaged a 2. - The Newark Star-Ledger's Dave D'Allesandro answered a few questions for us about the Nets to preview the weekend's action. Definitely see what he has to say about what to expect from the dirty Jers'. - I mentioned Zaza is gametime for tonight. The Nets Devin Harris is similarly injured, but word is he plans on testing his ankle in pre-game in hopes to see the floor. Harris has missed the last three games for New Jersey, who will also be without Josh Boone tonight (ankle contusion). Seems like we'll see a lot of small ball from both teams, potentially. Thursday November 13, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 8:09PM AFT on November 13, 2008
My first instinct last night, after Paul Pierce's (relatively speaking) buzzer-beater, was to say to myself, "I hate to lose that game, but it was a good loss." Given how much we had going against us - no Josh Smith, no Zaza Pachulia after halftime, seemingly every other healthy big man saddled with five fouls, playing in what was a house of horrors as recently as last May - I was proud of the team's effort and the way they competed, even in defeat. But then something occurred to me - that kind of talk is best saved for Hawks' teams of yesteryear. What we are learning so far, and its becoming more and more apparent with every game, is that this team is not like the others. There is no such thing as a moral victory any more. Like Bob Rathbun said in our podcast from a couple weeks ago, we should be going into every game expecting to win and be upset when it doesn't happen. I know it's still early, but it's getting to the point where it ain't that early. One game is a fluke, a few games is a trend, but playing with this kind of grit and determination for seven straight (against this caliber of opposition) is a clear sign that the Hawks of old are d-u-n done. ESPN's John Hollinger, who predicted a 31-51 season for Atlanta at the season's outset, had this to say (Insider) before yesterday's heartbreaker: For an NBA team to win its first six games is an accomplishment; for a team to do so when four of the six games are on the road is particularly impressive. If the Hawks were an average team and played an average schedule over the first six games (Atlanta's schedule was probably more difficult than average, but just play along with me here), the odds of their winning six straight, when four of the six are on the road, would be just 0.9 percent.Hollinger goes on to say the Hawks, if healthy, are looking every bit like the 50-win team Al Horford predicted they'd be in preseason. Health is a factor of course, and with Josh Smith out the potential loss of Pachulia (listed as day-to-day with a sore shoulder) leaves the team in a precarious position in the frontcourt. But these Hawks have shown a willingness to fight through adversity thus far that gives me great hope for the future. So I'm not going to qualify my statements any more with "there's still a lot of basketball to play" and "let's not get too excited yet". It IS time to get excited. This Hawks team is a contender, for a playoff spot, for a Southeast Division title, and maybe even more. It's time to start believing. UPDATE: In Hollinger's initial power rankings, the Hawks check in at #2. Wednesday November 12, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 7:15PM AFT on November 12, 2008
 What did Lang Whitaker say to me in the Weekly Podcast on Monday? That if you keep winning, the attention will come? Maybe it's not that big of a deal, but I would just like to point out that right now (9:21 am ET) the Hawks are the top story on ESPN.com. Tonight's game against the Celtics is all of a sudden the biggest game of the young NBA season. Now you know! A couple more follow up points to last night's win: - When Hawks GM Rick Sund spoke to the staff before the season, one thing he talked about needed to do to win this year was score on the road. To illustrate that point, going into last night's game the Hawks had lost seven straight in Chicago and scored an average of 87.7 ppg in those games. But last night the Bulls couldn't keep the Hawks in check, and every time they mounted a comeback the Hawks would respond, particularly with the three-ball in the fourth quarter. - What is it about the power forward spot for the Hawks that leads to blocked shots? At some point the team will show they miss Josh Smith's production on the court, but in the first two games of his absence Al Horford has set consecutive career-highs in blocked shots (5 and 6, respectively). - Joe Johnson had another poor shooting night, going only 4-16 from the field. But the constant double teams he's receiving is making it incredibly easy for Mike Bibby right now. Boston was incredibly successful in the playoffs last year doubling Joe everywhere he went on the floor (at least in the games in Boston) - it will be interesting to see if they go the same route tonight and if we can make them pay for it. The Hawks are now 6-0 for only the second time in franchise history, and set up for quite the showdown tonight in Boston (7:30 ET, SportSouth). I don't know about you, but I am enjoying the ride!
Posted by: Micah Hart at 10:20AM AFT on November 12, 2008
Methinks tonight's game will serve as the wake-up call to the rest of the league, that Big Al is a force to be reckoned with. 27 points, 17 rebounds, and 6 blocks will do that for a guy. No offense to Joe Johnson, who I have a giant man crush on, but Horford was the best player on the court tonight. This was as dominant a performance by someone not named Dwight Howard as I think you'll see this year, and it helped the Hawks to their 6th (6th! Seriously!) straight win to start the season. Everyone contributed tonight, but special shoutouts go to Mike Bibby and Maurice Evans, each of whom hit dagger threes in the fourth quarter to quell every Bulls rally. And so we are back where we left off when last season ended, heading to Boston for a showdown with the defending champion Celtics. Anything seems possible right now, doesn't it? Wednesday November 12, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 2:10AM AFT on November 12, 2008
 Behold, the Eastern Conference ballot for the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix. Notice anything interesting about it? Squint if you need to! That's right, there are five Hawks on the ballot, one for each position on the court. The Hawks are one of only three teams in the East to place all five of their starters, joining East heavyweights Boston and Detroit (this was approved before the Billups-Iverson trade, but assume Iverson takes Chauncey's place and McDyess comes back to Detroit in a month). Not too shabby, eh? The question I'm sure you are all asking is, what is the likelihood of all five players making it? Or rather, which of the five stand the best chance? I'm glad you asked, fictional blog reader! Let's take it case-by-case: Joe Johnson Mike Bibby Josh Smith Al Horford Marvin Williams There is still a lot of basketball to be played between now and when the ballots close on January 19th, so anything can happen. But it says something already about this team that so many of the Hawks players are highly enough regarded to be included in the voting, and that in and of itself is a good sign for what's to come this season. Tuesday November 11, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 3:17AM AFT on November 11, 2008
5-0. Raise your hand if you saw this coming? Hawks sideline reporter James Verrett is the closest I've heard to espousing the kind of optimism going into this season (his prediction - 13-3) that has matched the team's start. But now that the train is rolling, it's time for people to start getting on board don't you think? In the BasketBlog Weekly Podcast today with Lang Whitaker, LW and I talked about the lack of respect the team still seems to command despite the hot start. Lang made a good point - while it seems we are still under the radar right now, the easiest way to reverse that is to keep winning. The more we win, the sooner the lack of coverage will be rectified (even still, it made me mad to look at ESPN today and see a big story about the Lakers moving to 5-0 with no mention of our Hawks). Last night's win in Oklahoma City was strangely disappointing and yet ultimately satisfying to me. I felt like we played flat for awhile, which I am sensitive to from the past. However the defensive effort was there the entire game, and in the end that was what made the difference (well, that and Flip Murray). I cannot stress enough how important this team's defense has been in getting off to its best start since 1997-98. Last night's offensive effort was disjointed (not surprising, given the absence of Josh Smith), and it seemed like the Hawks were settling for a lot of isolation plays instead of working the ball around to get open shots. Yet the team was consistently getting enough easy baskets thanks to its defense that the game never got away from them, and when they finally started hitting a few shots in the 4th quarter they were able to pull out the road win. These are the kinds of games that separate the men from the boys in the NBA. Lose them frequently enough, and you find yourself either out of the playoffs altogether or fighting for every game down the stretch to secure a spot. Win enough, and you start thinking about seeding and possibly hosting a playoff series. Props go to Murray for once again providing exactly the kind of spark off the bench the team has been so badly missing the past few years, both offensively and defensively. And kudos as well to Solomon Jones, who stepped up in place of Josh Smith (injury) and Zaza Pachulia (foul trouble) to tie his career-high with 10 rebounds (6 offensive) to go with 5 points. This week, with 5 games in 7 days, wouldn't have been easy even with J-Smoove. But the way this team is playing D right now, I don't think it's wise to count us out of any of them. What else have you seen surprise you so far? Update: Courtesy of the Hawks crack PR staff, at least a few people are taking notice of the Hawks play so far. Here are the team's power rankings through the season's first fortnight: -- 3rd on NBA.com: http://www.nba.com/powerrankings/-- 3rd on SI.com: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/marty_burns/11/10/power.rankings/index.html -- 4th in USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/power-rankings.htm-- 5th on ESPN.com: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerranking?season=2009&week=2 -- 5th on Yahoo Sports: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/BDL-NBA-Power-Rankings-From-sea-to-shining-sea?urn=nba,120828
Monday November 10, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 3:14AM AFT on November 10, 2008
Well, no one said this was going to be easy. The Hawks have burst out of the gate 4-0, beating four playoff teams in the process, but if we thought that strong start meant the team would cruise to 60 wins, we can put that to rest. Josh Smith's high-ankle sprain is going to keep him on the sidelines for the next 2-4 weeks, which means we're going to find out pretty early just how much depth this year's team actually has. So far, the results have been positive; Solomon Jones had 6 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 25 minutes, while Randolph Morris chipped in with 6 points in his first action of the season. Both of those guys are going to have to step up while Smoove is out, no doubt. To me though, the two guys most capable of stepping up in Josh's absence are two guys already in the lineup - namely, Marvin Williams and Al Horford. Marvin has been relatively quiet so far this season, but that's been more a function of everyone's play than a lack of effort on his part. And already he has begun to show an extended arsenal that was missing in the past, hitting three 3's in the win at New Orleans and scoring 14 against the Raptors. Generally speaking, I think Hawks fans would rather see him firing from the perimeter than Smith in the first place. As for replacing Josh's handiwork down low, I am hoping this will finally be a chance for Horford to show what he is capable of on the interior. I have long thought Al is capable of a lot more than he's given a chance to showcase, but with proven scorers like Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, and Mike Bibby sharing the court the touches have been relatively few and far between. Now with Smoove out, it will be up to him and Zaza Pachulia (who I assume moves into the starting lineup for the time being) to give the Hawks an inside scoring threat to complement the team's newfound three-point shooting prowess. We'll know pretty quickly how much the Hawks will miss Smith, as the team begins a four-game road trip tonight in Oklahoma City and goes through Chicago, Boston, and New Jersey. It won't be easy, but I am hoping that by giving Horford and Williams more responsibility that not only will the team continue to thrive but also build confidence for each of those players in the meantime. Tune in at 7:00 on SportSouth to see if the Hawks train can keep on rollin'... Thursday November 6, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 8:13AM AFT on November 6, 2008
It's early, but I'd just like to point out that the Hawks just went into New Orleans tonight and beat a Hornets team that, as Peachtree Hoops pointed out before the game, is ranked #1 or #2 by most power rankings after the first week of the NBA season. Atlanta waltzed into New Orleans and not only beat the Hornets but in the process handed Chris Paul his first loss ever against the Hawks. How are they doing it? D-FENCE. New Orleans came into the game averaging a league-high 106.6 ppg, which means the paltry 79 they posted tonight was nearly 30 below their average. 79 points! And that's a Hornets team, mind you, that was putting up those numbers mostly without Peja Stojakovic and Tyson Chandler, both of whom returned to the lineup tonight. I just can't tell you how impressive this team has looked so far this season in beating three returning playoff teams, two of whom won division titles (and both of those wins were on the road). Like in Orlando, the Hawks didn't luck into a win tonight. They led for most of the game, and save for a few minute stretch in the later part of the third quarter they pretty much controlled the action from tip to buzzer. Trailing 62-58 heading into the fourth, the Hawks clamped down on the defensive end and outscored the Hornets 29-17, much like they did on Saturday against Philly (outscoring the Sixers 29-13). As has been the case so far, this was a total team effort. Yes Joe Johnson led the way, but the team got production from places they haven't before - off the bench from Flip Murray and Mo Evans (22 points combined) and great three-point shooting from Marvin Williams, who was 3-3 from behind the arc. Just to reiterate that point - Marvin hit exactly one three pointer last year. He tripled that in this game alone! Guess those off-season workouts are paying off. There is a long way to go Hawks fans, but there is no doubt this team is different than previous editions. What did you think? Wednesday November 5, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 11:03PM AFT on November 5, 2008
-- Not to spend too much time on politics since this is a basketball blog, but I did think you'd like seeing former Georgia Tech standout Chris Bosh's take on Obama's election. And in other basketball/politics news, former NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson was elected mayor of Sacramento. -- Sekou Smith has a great article in the AJC talking about Joe Johnson's credentials as a leading man. You've heard me complain about this on many occasions, and it's nice to see JJ's teammates come to his defense on this issue (not that I'd expect any different). Bob Rathbun and I talked about this a bit on Monday in the BasketBlog Weekly Podcast, but we both think this has the potential to be a career year for Joe. Certainly nothing we've seen in the first two games would dispell that notion. -- I did a little preview for tonight's game with the Hornets official site, you can read it here. The Hornets, if I may say, have one of the best websites in the NBA for content, so definitely check them out if you are interested in information about their squad and the rest of the Western Conference. Tonight's game is at 8:00 ET on SportSouth. The Hawks have gained two fairly impressive wins so far this season, and they have managed to actually draw some attention because of it. A win tonight would really open some people's eyes. Let's get it done.
Wednesday November 5, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 2:43AM AFT on November 5, 2008
Did everybody vote today? I got it out of the way this morning, and it really wasn't so bad to be honest. We waited about 35 minutes in line - about what I've done in the past - so I didn't see what all the fuss was about. Anyway, congrats to everyone who did for doing your civic duty. Let's get back to basketball, shall we? An interesting game for the Hawks tomorrow night in New Orleans, where they will take on a Hornets team that is undefeated and with a point guard (Chris Paul, I believe you have heard of him) who just won Player of the Week honors for the Western Conference. The Hawks have a point guard of their own of some reputation in Mike Bibby, and I am excited to see the two of them go head-to-head. The talk in the locker room yesterday was about the difference Bibby made in Saturday night's win over the Sixers, specifically his calming presence on the team when things were going poorly early on. I asked him about that after practice, and he said what you'd expect to hear from a guy who's been in the league ten years - namely, that no lead is safe, and if you can just chip and chip away at something, you never know what can happen. This kind of leadership, more than many things, is what I think can make the difference between the Hawks last season and this year. In other news, as Peachtree Hoops points out, the Hawks-Bulls match-up on Nov. 11 is up for election to be the featured game on NBATV that night. What say we stuff the ballots and turn that dream into a reality. I realize those of us living in the Atlanta area will be able to watch that game on SportSouth no matter what, but if we are going to get multiple players into All-Star Weekend in Phoenix this season, we'll need the team to get some more exposure than they've had in the past. So Jam the Vote! Sunday November 2, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 10:05AM AFT on November 2, 2008
It's been several months now since the magic of the home games in last year's first-round playoff series against the Celtics. It's a new season with several new faces, and going into tonight's game I wondered what to expect at Philips Arena. Would it be the same? Could it be the same?
Well, if it didn't match the atmosphere of the playoffs, it was still as rowdy as I've seen it during the regular season in a long time. The Hawks got down (way down) pretty early on, and whereas before the fans would have resigned themselves to an inevitable loss, tonight it was different. Every time the Hawks strung a basket or two together, the decibel level would begin to raise. By the time the Hawks cut the deficit to a couple of possessions midway through the fourth quarter, the fans were really engaged and making a tangible difference in the home team's play. It was great. It was what we've always wanted to see at Philips Arena, and what we got a taste for last April. The players, feeding off the energy of the crowd, making play after play to take down an opponent. And that's exactly what they did tonight, rallying from a 23-point deficit in a first half where it seemed like nothing could go right and the Sixers looked every bit like a team prepared to challenge for the Eastern Conference title (in part because of the play of Thaddeus Young - man does he look good for a guy who should be a junior at Georgia Tech).
But the Hawks didn't quit, and after giving up a barrage of easy buckets in the first half the D stiffened, forcing the Sixers to take bad shot after bad shot. The clear paths to the lane they found in the early going vanished, causing them to rely on an unreliable perimeter shooting attack that couldn't produce enough to keep the Hawks at bay. Congrats to Mike Woodson and his team on a hard-fought comeback, and here's to savoring the first of what will hopefully be many victories for the home team this season.Saturday November 1, 2008
Posted by: Micah Hart at 9:35PM AFT on November 1, 2008
Wednesday's win over Orlando was an outstanding way to start the season. You know what else would be outstanding - getting out of the gate 2-0. It won't be easy tonight, as the Philadelphia 76ers come to Philips Arena, a team many are touting as a potential threat to the Boston-Detroit hegemony in the Eastern Conference. This is a big game for the Hawks, even for this early in the season. With so many early games on the road, it's imperative for Atlanta to take care of business at home. The Sixers are a good team, but the Hawks can match their talent. With a rocking crowd expected, there is no reason to think the home team can't get a victory, especially with Philly on the second night of a back-to-back (they drummed the Knicks at home last night). The buzzword around the Hawks so far this preseason and in the opening few days of the season has been focus. The team knows it wasn't there at all times last year, and they are determined to keep their intensity level high in 08-09. It was there on Wednesday at Orlando, and I saw it at practice yesterday, as the team engaged in perhaps the most intense scrimmage I've seen in years. Bodies were flying, words were exchanged (mostly in the direction of assistant coaches Bob Bender and Tyrone Hill, who were given the unfortunate task of refereeing the action) - there was definitely a fire in everyone's eyes. I asked Joe Johnson about it after practice, and he talked about how the team's focus has to be there if the team wants to be a factor in the playoff chase this season. Assistant coach Larry Drew mentioned it as well in our Breaking Down the Sixers segment, particularly on the defensive end. The Sixers have a lot of young athletes just like the Hawks, so I am expecting an up-and-down affair. It's early, so I don't expect Philly's legs to be particularly weak after a game last night, but it's still something I hope we will try to take advantage of tonight. Come down to Philips tonight and let's see if we can't recreate some of the atmosphere we all enjoyed so much during the playoff run back in April. |
