Al Horford has posted a new entry in his rookie diary, which he is keeping exclusively for Hawks.com this season. In it, he talks about heading to New Orleans to participate in the Rookie-Sophomore game as part of All-Star weekend.

As you may know, we around these parts are quite enamored with Al's play, and believe he should be the front-runner for Rookie of the Year honors instead of Seattle's Kevin Durant.

In the spirit of championing his cause and getting a read on the prevailing national opinion of his ROY chances, I asked some prominent NBA bloggers to answer this question:

There is a lot of basketball left to be played, but if the season ended today, does Al Horford deserve to win Rookie of the Year honors in the NBA? Why or why not?

Here is what they had to say:

Tom Ziller, Sactown Royalty:
"I think, despite the great season Horford's had, it'd be difficult to give him the nod over Durant. KD's not run away with it because of his poor shooting figures and the team's lack of success. But Horford hasn't really done enough to make the argument for himself, especially on offense where Horford's shooting efficiency is barely better than Durant's .509 TS% [ed. note: TS% means true shooting percentage, a stat you can read about here] versus .499 for KD), despite taking tons fewer shots, playing at a position where shooting percentages are traditionally higher, and having a better cast around him. The rebounds are fantastic, and anecdotally the defense has been decent (though KD's defense has been good too). But Durant's being asked (forced?) to take an inordinate amount of shots at an unfamiliar position. His weaknesses are in large part (in my opinion) a factor of his circumstances, not necessarily anything he's done wrong. Horford, on the other hand, has been put in a rather good situation... and hasn't excelled on offense. It's a tough battle, but I think I'd give the edge to Durant and a firm smack on the hands to P.J. Carlesimo for helping make his superstar look bad."

Bethlehem Shoals, Free Darko:
"Going into this season, we were told that Horford would be the rookie who contributed right away. Well, Oden's not playing, and Durant's play is hazy and exploratory. Horford bangs, defends hard, plays bigger than he is at times and smaller than he is at others, and has some offensive repertoire. He's not as thrilling as some of the other Hawks, but he's that rock-solid feature (Rock-solid feature other than a point guard, of course) the roster has been lacking. He could be Boozer if he keeps improving.

I might think of giving it to Horford, just because he's actually playing basketball this season. Durant's team is terrible, coach is inept, and his season is like one long pre-season goof for him. Horford has helped make the Hawks semi-legit, and even if he does have an off-night shooting, contributes to the competitive efforts of a professional basketball team. That's a slight variation on "so and so's team made the playoffs" argument in the MVP race."

Henry Abbott, TrueHoop:
"Oh man, that is a fair question, but I have to be honest -- I don't know how you judge that kind of thing. I really don't.

I'll say this: I really like Horford's game. And I'm certain the award should be based on some kind of semi-objective measure of how a player actually performs, not some hybrid mix of expectations and shoe deals. Does that mean Horford is better than Durant? I don't know."

What do you think about Al's chances? Let us know in the comments...

Permalink:
http://hawks.portspaces.com/post/hawksbasketblog/al_and_roy.html

Trackback URL:
http://hawks.portspaces.com/post/hawksbasketblog/al_and_roy.trackback

And we're off!

After Media Day on Monday afternoon at Philips, where the Hawks players spent a couple hours doing interviews, taking photos, and showing off their new duds, the guys got down to official business today with the start of training camp and the team's first practice.

Though they don't allow staff to observe all of practice, they did let us in for about the last half hour or so, and it was enough time for me to form some impressions. To wit:

- It appears the team is serious about getting out and running this season. I know that has been talked about in these parts over the last couple years, and for whatever reason never really implemented, but based on the early signs, this team looks like it is making a commitment this year. During a portion of the time I was in there, the team went through several exercises designed to set them playing in an up tempo style, and afterwards Coach Woodson addressed this aspect specifically, saying the team is planning to run, but that it will take discipline and fitness to do so.

The guys looked fairly ragged doing the up tempo drills, but I attribute that more to beginning camp than anything else. Bottom line, the guys have a month to work on getting in shape and learning to run a truly up tempo offense, and the fact that they are moving in that direction is a very positive sign for those who believe that running gives the Hawks their best opportunity to win.

- Joe Johnson is becoming a more active leader. One of the critiques of the team in the past has been a lack of leadership on the part of Joe Johnson, the team's best player. It's not so much that Joe hasn't been a leader, he has just always been more of the lead-by-example type. Based on today, it appears he is making a much more concerted effort this year to step up vocally as well, as he exhorted his teammates to give more effort on several occasions. This is also, in my opinion, a very positive sign.

- Al Horford looks like a stud. Yes, I realize it was only one practice (and only 1/6th of it at that), but watching him play you can't help but be impressed. In the span of a couple minutes in one full court scrimmage drill, Horford spun on the baseline for a layup, knocked down a 15-foot jumper, and raced back on defense to block a lay-up attempt. It's very early, but count me as someone who thinks this guy can make a meaningful contribution to this team sooner rather than later.

- The team is taking precautions to avoid the injury bug of a year ago. I spoke to Coach Woodson after practice, and he talked about how this year the team is doing one practice a day instead of the two-a-days we've seen in years past. Basically, this is to keep the guys fresh and keep their bodies from breaking down. It will allow the guys to go hard for three or so hours, but then have the rest of the day to rest and recuperate before doing it again the next day. Another smart move by the coaching staff, if you ask me.

After practice I spoke with Acie Law about his first day on the job, and he was predictably excited. He seems pretty excited about the notion of pushing the pace, and if you've seen what he looks like with his shirt off, it's no surprise that conditioning is not one of his main concerns. Law is going to face an uphill battle for minutes out of the gate given his inexperience, but so far he looks comfortable on the court with the rest of his teammates, and that is a start.

Tyronn Lue talks with Acie Law

Josh Smith works on his free throw shooting

Salim Stoudamire works on staying loose

Permalink:
http://hawks.portspaces.com/post/hawksbasketblog/training_camp_report_day_1.html

Trackback URL:
http://hawks.portspaces.com/post/hawksbasketblog/training_camp_report_day_1.trackback

The Hawks have received many plaudits for their draft haul so far, especially given the way Al Horford and Acie Law performed during summer league play at the Rocky Mountain Revue.

Well, it turns out the members of the press aren't the only ones singing the praises of our incoming Hawks rookies. In a survery conducted during the NBA photo shoot for the 2007 draft class, both Horford and Law received high marks from their brethren.

In particular, Horford was voted the most ready to contribute, getting 29.5% of the votes (Law was fourth, with 9.1%), while Law finished second in the best playmaker category, getting 26.2% (Memphis' Mike Conley was rated #1 with 45.2%). It's a pretty cool little survey, I suggest checking it out.

Also, towards the end, the question of which NBA player do you look most forward to playing against, the answer is (of course) Kobe - but Josh Smith snuck in there with a vote as well, which is pretty cool (then again, so did Quentin Ross and JJ Redick, so maybe it's meaningless).

Here are some pictures from the photo shoot. Judging from the pictures, big Al looks happy to be back with his Gator boys...

Gator Boys in their new unis

Permalink:
http://hawks.portspaces.com/post/hawksbasketblog/nba_rookies_predict_success_for_horford_law.html

Trackback URL:
http://hawks.portspaces.com/post/hawksbasketblog/nba_rookies_predict_success_for_horford_law.trackback

The Hawks are halfway through summer league play, as the team has won two straight over the Spurs and Mavericks to run their record to 2-1 at the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City.

I haven't been able to watch any of the action yet (tape-delayed broadcasts of the games begin on Wednesday), so base a report on anyone's play on anything other than a box score.

Fortunately, Hawks PR whiz Jon Steinberg is out there with the team, and he was kind enough to offer up some observations on what he has seen so far. Take it away, Steiny:

As an admittedly biased observer, I feel the developments here in Salt Lake City are something Hawks fans should be very excited about. First off, summer league head coach Larry Drew has done a really nice job of balancing the need to feature the talents of Shelden Williams, Solomon Jones, Al Horford (right) and Acie Law, along with his job of teaching a team that has been together for less than two weeks to play as one.

Shelden has easily been one of the best big men in the league. With a year in the NBA under his belt (one in which he led all rookies in rebounding and double-doubles), he has been patient and efficient, yet crafty and physical, to the tune of 18.0 ppg and 9.3 rpg (.600 FG%, .750 FT%) through three contests.

Though currently sidelined by an ankle sprain, Big Al was the early talk of the Revue, showing his tremendous talent on both ends of the floor. It's hard to watch Al play, and not immediately think of comparisons (a young Elton Brand comes to mind). But his talents are so unique, it seems unfair to either player to do so. In the two games he's played here, he has been relentless on both ends of the floor, and his athleticism, physicality and attitude have been his hallmarks. Not to mention, he's a surprisingly good passer. He's put in 13.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg (.500 FG%, .875 FT%).

Acie has been a solid lead guard, initiating the offense and making good decisions with the ball, whether looking to create for others, or using his considerable scoring ability. Most importantly, his natural leadership qualities have been obvious in games, as well as on the practice floor. I also think the "unconventional point guard" tag that has followed Law around is exactly the thing that is going to make him a good pro for many years. His averages so far: 13.3 ppg, 5.0 apg and 3.7 rpg (.400 FG%, .889 FT%).

If three summer league games are any indication of the future, the Hawks have found a couple of NBA-ready rookies to add to the mix for next season, while Shelden is simply picking up where he left off as the NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for April.

Don't miss your chance to watch the replays of some of these games, and see for yourself.

The Hawks get back in action this afternoon against the Bulls. Check back with the Hawks Rocky Mountain Revue homepage for all the latest scores and updates.

Permalink:
http://hawks.portspaces.com/post/hawksbasketblog/checking_in_from_summer_league.html

Trackback URL:
http://hawks.portspaces.com/post/hawksbasketblog/checking_in_from_summer_league.trackback

Earlier today at Philips Arena the Hawks introduced their two newest members as Al Horford and Acie Law joined Hawks GM Billy Knight at the podium to meet the press.

Both guys said all the things you'd expect them to say: they are excited to be here, they are looking forward to the opportunity to play in Atlanta, etc. I don't mean that as a bad thing; I found both guys to be thoughtful and articulate, they just didn't really provide any head-turning commentary or start any controversy.

To me, the highlight of the whole event was watching Horford's little brother Christian (right) run around after the press conference was over, zeroing in on various TV station microphones and trying on his big brother's new jersey. He may only be a couple years old, but I'd say he has tremendous upside.

Anyway, if you'd like to feast your eyes on the entirety of the presser, we have video of it.

In addition, I caught up to both Horford and Law for a couple minutes afterwards. I wanted to ask Al about his decision to return for his junior year, and I got to ask Acie about the knock on his abilities as a point guard.

So both new draft picks are now officially Hawks (relatively speaking, they can't sign contracts until July 11th), and now will go about getting themselves adjusted to life in Atlanta as they get ready for Summer League workouts which get underway next week.

Welcome to the ATL, guys.

Permalink:
http://hawks.portspaces.com/post/hawksbasketblog/hawks_introduce_horford_and_law.html

Trackback URL:
http://hawks.portspaces.com/post/hawksbasketblog/hawks_introduce_horford_and_law.trackback

Last night was a blur - at least the first hour or so of the draft at the least.

With all the talks of trades, prospects, and the like, it's hard to believe we actually know now what the roster will presumably look like for next season (Billy Knight said as much during the press conference after the picks, though he did say if the right deal is there they could still make other moves).

A day later, I stand by my feelings last night - this was a terrific draft for the Hawks.

Al Horford and Acie Law are both players who can play right away, and both are capable of providing something the team was missing last year.

And, just to reiterate my argument, I have to strongly disagree with anyone who thinks we should have taken Mike Conley Jr. at #3.

You have to look at the draft as a whole, not as a series of individual decisions. Individually, maybe you think that Conley was the best player available at #3. But I disagree with the notion that we'd have been better off with Conley and say, Spencer Hawes (that would be two more 19-year olds added to the league's youngest roster), than we will be with Horford and Law.

But, if you disagree, that's cool too - we'll see what happens come November!

A couple last things, and then I am off for a much-needed weekend of relaxation.

Today is Joe Johnson's 26th birthday, so be sure to send him happy b-day wishes. I talked to Joe for a couple minutes last night at the Draft, and he seemed pretty pleased with how things turned out. Here is my interview with him, if you want to hear his thoughts.

Also, big props to our video staff, who banged out a Highlight Factory Online episode covering last night's festivities at Philips Arena. From everyone I've heard from, it was a really good time.

So, I hope everyone has a good weekend, and I hope everyone is as happy with Thursday's results as I am.

16 days until Rocky Mountain Revue...

Permalink:
http://hawks.portspaces.com/post/hawksbasketblog/some_reflection_after_a_nights_sleep.html

Trackback URL:
http://hawks.portspaces.com/post/hawksbasketblog/some_reflection_after_a_nights_sleep.trackback

I know some of you out there disagree, and it's a free country so you are certainly welcome to your opinion, but just so you know, there are many out there who are happy with how the Hawks did tonight.

The AJC's Mark Bradley is one of them. Here is his article for tomorrow about the Hawks' work tonight. I for one couldn't agree with him more. We got two players who can play (and play right away) next year, and both are proven winners.

Hindsight is always 20/20, and maybe someday people will say the team should have done something different. But looking forward, we did as good as we could have in 2007, and a lot of credit for that should go to Billy Knight, who got us in position to do this with the Al Harrington deal.

That's about it for me from here. If we should happen to trade our way back into the second round tonight I will let you know, but it sounds like we are probably about done.

I will close with a story. I went to Texas (ummm, I may have mentioned that in these parts once or twice before), so I saw both of their games this season against Texas A&M and Acie Law. In the game at Austin that most people talk about when discussing Law's heroics, he hit a ridiculous three-pointer over Kevin Durant to send the game into overtime. If you watched the game, or if you watch this segment from when he was on the Jim Rome show (scroll to about 15 seconds in) you will see the camera close in on him celebrating with his teammates as he mouths the words, "That's what I do."

That's when I knew this guy was the right player for this team. That's the kind of player I'll take every single day, a guy who wants the ball at the end and has the confidence in himself to make things happen.

This is a good night, Hawks fans. We aren't to the mountaintop yet, but I promise you we are much closer to it tonight than we were yesterday.

Just over two weeks until Summer League - I can't wait!

Permalink:
http://hawks.portspaces.com/post/hawksbasketblog/wrapping_up_the_nights_activities.html

Trackback URL:
http://hawks.portspaces.com/post/hawksbasketblog/wrapping_up_the_nights_activities.trackback