By going 8 and 7 this January, these young Hawks have earned their
first winning month since April 2004. That's not a typo. It really has been that
long. Without an abysmal December, we're talking about a team with a .500
record, sitting comfortably in the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference. And
if that was the case, do you think the debate would be over whether Joe Johnson
deserves a spot on this year's all-star team or is worthy of MVP consideration?
Would the Hawks be playing in nationally televised games on TNT and ESPN? Would
Josh Smith be the favorite for the NBA's Most-Improved Player award? Would the
US Government hire Jack Bauer to find Osama Bin Laden? Would a Major League
Soccer team pay one player $250 million … to play soccer?!?
Okay, I
better calm down. These are of course all big what-ifs, except for what happened
to Mr. Beckham, who currently is pulling his best Scrooge McDuck in "Duck Tales"
by swimming in a piggy bank full of British pounds. But these scenarios aren't
that far-fetched … are they? Without injuries to Josh Smith, Joe
Johnson, Josh Childress, Tyronn Lue and
Speedy Claxton, and coming out on the opposite end of a few close
ball games, we're talking about a team that's contending for a playoff spot. I'm
well aware that injuries are a part of life in the NBA, but the timing of these
injuries is what truly hurt this team. After starting off on the right foot, and
discovering winning team chemistry, the Hawks began to lose players to the I.R.
like Michael Jackson's losing faces. And now that the Hawks are back at full
strength, the evolution of this team is back on track.
Don't get me
wrong - I'm not making excuses for where the Hawks stand today. But the Hawks
are in a nice groove right now due to some minor tweaks with the lineup and the
fact that virtually the entire roster is healthy. There's no doubt that Coach
Woodson and the boys still need to find ways to execute down the stretch and
pull out close games, and avoid ugly patches like the back-to-back losses
against the Bobcats. But with several winnable games remaining before the
all-star break, I'm hopeful we can carry that momentum into the second half of
the season.
By the way, if you have not had the opportunity to listen to
the tag-team of Steve Holman and 3-D (Dennis Scott) on 790 The Zone, you really
should. These two are upbeat, always entertaining and are not afraid to point
out what the Hawks are doing wrong. That sort of objective point of view
sprinkled with heavy dosages of humor (and several indecipherable comments by
3-D) make for an entertaining listen.
Last, a quick suggestion for the
people at Philips Arena who are responsible for the sound effects and in-game
music - add the sound effect of Staples' "Easy Button." As part of its recent ad
campaign, Staples is selling these plastic noise-making buttons, which, when
pushed down, says in a loud, mechanical voice "THAT WAS EASY!" This sound effect
could be made over the Philips Arena loud-speakers every time our MVP Joe
Johnson scores a bucket. Imagine … Joe Johnson penetrates the lane, draws
contact and drops in one of his signature floaters which tickles the net. This
is followed by the crowd cheering, and a "THAT WAS EASY!" noise over the
loud-speakers. I don't know about you, but I'd find that pretty funny. Of
course, Philips and the Hawks would need Staples' permission for this, but how
could they resist such a proposition? Joe's always good for about 26 a game, and
I'd like for someone to point out another NBA player who makes the game look
easier than Joe (except for Jesus Shuttlesworth, of course). Heck, Staples
should pay the Hawks for this sort of exposure.
-- Skippy, The Fan Correspondent | 2:00 p.m. 02/01/07
