It's about 1:35 local Dallas time, and I am doing a little work in the hotel room. The team had breakfast together at 11:00, and now their time is their own until the team bus leaves for the arena. There are usually two buses for road games, an early one (which most players take, particularly the younger ones who go early to get workouts in) and a late one, which is generally for media and support types like myself and any players who didn't get on the first - usually veterans.
I slept in this morning, then got up and went to work out in the hotel's fitness center. Let me just say it's way nicer than the complex at my apartment complex's gym. There is no doubt that NBA teams travel in style - but I what I hope to impart over the course of this week is that, despite the many comforts of travel, this lifestyle ain't easy. Yeah, these players are well compensated for their time, but as I'm sure anyone who travels for a living will tell you, it's tough moving from city to city on such a repetitive basis.
I don't really know the area around where we are staying, so I've decided to take the room service route for lunch today. I might venture out more while on this trip, but since we have such little time to spend in Dallas I don't feel bad about sitting this one out.
Dallas probably doesn't have much significance for most players on the Hawks roster, save one. Acie Law is from the Dallas area, starring at Kimball High before going to college at Texas A&M (boo). Acie has a lot planned for the little time he has here today, and I will be documenting much of it later on this evening.
As a rookie last season, Law had one of his better games here in front
of several of his friends and family, scoring 12 points and dishing out
a couple of assists in 23 minutes off the bench, albeit in a 97-84
loss. That the team lost is sort of a recurring theme of this trip; as I mentioned yesterday, the Hawks will have the opportunity to break several losing streaks while on this trip.
No one on the current roster has ever won a game in this state as a Hawk, but I for one think that is going to change, perhaps as early as tonight against the Mavericks.
The Mavs have been playing better of late, running their record to 10-8 with a convincing win Thursday night over Phoenix, but they are far from the juggernaut that made deep playoff runs over the last several years. And, with an aging (though still talented) Jason Kidd at the point, they aren't blessed with the one weapon that has been so tough on the Hawks this season - a lightening quick point guard who can beat them off the dribble and set up easy baskets for himself and his teammates (they did have one, but they traded Devin Harris to New Jersey to get Kidd - I think you'll agree with me when I say I am happy not to see him tonight).
I'll check back in later on this afternoon, but I hear a knock on the door, which means my way-too-expensive cheeseburger has arrived.
Later!
UPDATE: I was wrong, the cheeseburger was actually delicious. Who knew?
