Catching Up

Been a while since I've posted, figured I'm overdue. Not that I have that much to say.

Bonitis and the artists formerly known as DW3CP4 summed up the Hawks playoff experience fairly well -- rarely has a fan base felt so happy about a 34 point loss. I was at Game Six and it was arguably the greatest experience of my life, easily my greatest sporting experience. No matter what else we take away from sports, it's moments like Joe's threes in games 3 and 6 that remind us why we live and die with these teams. All those moments of suffering are washed away in those split seconds. If anything, that much suck really makes those moments more precious.

Speaking of the Hawks, Billy Knight was announced as "retiring" just a few hours ago. I can't think of a more embattled GM over the last couple of years since Knight. He's certainly been up and down: great job drafting Smith as late he did, good signing with Joe Johnson, and you certainly can't complain about trading your four worst players for Mike Bibby. However, his bads have been bad. I'm willing to ignore the Chris Paul pick (this has been played to death enough and, remember, we were one of three teams to skip over him -- Marvin was the pick, according to analysts. Drafting is not an exact science), however, not signing Smith (and, to a lesser extent, Childress) to extensions last summer was especially egregious. Our team took on a lot of cap by trading for Bibby, which is good, but done to make up for another Knight mistake (signing Speedy Claxton). Also, Shelden Williams at #5? I know what I said about drafting not being an exact science, but it's much easier to know a bust is going to be (Shelden) then predicting the super studs (Paul). That pick was simply inexcusable and he should have been fired a while ago for that, not signing Smith, and the Speed Claxton signing. Good thing he got Bibby before that.

Of course, the greatest thing Billy Knight tried to do never happened: firing Mike Woodson. Stay tuned, because there's no way this is resolved yet. I don't think Knight leaving is necessarily a great omen for Woodson. A new GM will want to make his impact immediately and, since we don't have a first round pick this year, I can't think of a better way for him to do that by hiring his own coach (which would also help us convince Josh Smith to stay, an added bonus). I'll let bonitis and Grundel go over the possible candidates later, but, suffice it to say, finding someone better than Woodson should not be hard.

Speaking of dying, it'd be nice if the Braves bullpen could stay healthy. However, I am still encouraged so far -- the offense is simply on fire and the starting pitching, despite going through injuries (Sigh. Smoltz.), still leads the NL in ERA. Sure, I don't expect Chipper to bat .400 or Jair Jurrjens to give us a quality start every time out, but, with this many players performing beyond expectations, it's a good sign that even when someone starts to slump (coughcough Kotsay coughocugh), there will be other players there to pick them up. It's still way too early to be scoreboard watching, however, the fact we are only two games back after blowing so many late games because of incompetent bullpen pitching (and managing of said bullpen) is very encouraging, since the bullpen will improve as guy's roles are established (Resop = only when we're winning by eight or more) and when we get some arms back.

Since apparently our tags are on "use-it-or-lose-it" status, I'd like to relate to you, dear readers, the story of Tantalus. Tantalus, a son of Zeus, invited the gods to dinner and, in order to impress them, cooked his own son. Sure, he was delicious, but, the gods were kind of pissed and they sent him to the Underworld where, for the rest of his life, he was doomed to a fate where he would always be reaching for food and water, only for it to move just out of reach as he got close. This si where we get the word "tantalizing" from -- something that looks good, but is beyond reach. This story of always trying and always failing (and also of false appearances) seems applicable to Greg Norton.

OK, that's kind of a loose fit, but, the "Greek Tragedy" label is too important to get lost in the shuffle.

Requiem

Was this the least negative fan reaction to a game seven slaughter in the history of sports? I mean, think about it. The Atlanta Hawks lost by 34 points. They were never in it. They didn't bring the hustle, the heart. The team was flat out embarrassed. But how did you react? I tipped my hat and offered an appreciative golf clap. Even Mark Bradley (always ready with the vitriol) was soft and optimistic. If watching the games didn't make it clear enough, this placid reaction illustrates just how improbable and exciting those three wins were. Ultimately, this series left me with two main thoughts going forward.

1. The Optimism. This series stuffed Hawks fans full with amazing memories and overwhelming emotion. I was lucky enough to attend two home games (3 and 6), and I will remember those games for the rest of my life. I thought game 3 was incredible, but game 6 was transcendent. The atmosphere was more intense than anything I've ever experienced, and it was flat-out euphoria by the end. Joe's performance in game 4 was unforgettable. That shot still haunts me. How many informed fans thought the Hawks would win a game? I regretfully acknowledge that a five game series was my hopeful ceiling. They didn't pull it off to the fullest, but they did shock the world. They proved that the talent on the roster was not some mirage seen by playoff-starved fools like me. I've seen what Josh Smith can do when he doesn't launch ill-advised treys. I've seen what can happen when the young, athletic Hawks get out and run, play aggressively, and take it to the free throw line. Mike Bibby may not be the answer, but I'm still confident that Acie can ball. He just needs the opportunity to develop and learn. If (big if) we keep the Joshes, with a year of Bibby/developing Acie, this team can be special. I'm not going to go crazy and call for titles or anything like that, but 37 wins? This series erases all doubt that this team is talented enough to take it to the next level, well past 37 wins. Unfortunately, it's a lot more complicated than that, which brings me to my second point.
2. The Indictment. Did this team suddenly transform into some supernatural being? Were they hiding this deadly arsenal just to retain the element of surprise? Hell no. Honestly, looking at the games we won in the series, the Hawks didn't play that well. They showed the talent, yes, but they pulled it off with some devilish concoction of passion, luck, and unrepeatable bursts of amazing. I watched many, many Hawks games this season. With few exceptions, I saw the same thing: a pile of powerful raw materials that was never shaped into a coherent machine. In 89 games (89 f'in games! not even counting previous seasons!), a legitimate, stable offensive system never appeared. Even on defense, players often looked lost--missed assignments, missed rotations, spurts of gift-wrapped offensive rebounds. Mike Woodson is a terrible coach. It is criminal how long he has been at the helm. Billy Knight is not a very good general manager. He has made some reprehensible decisions, but he has assembled a competitive roster (ignoring the lack of a bench for a moment). Most importantly, he has wanted to fire Mike Woodson for months. The Hawks upper management is clearly the product of some incestuous beast relationship years ago. This litter of narcissistic, blind fools might actually retain "Coach" Woodson. That scares me to death. The three amazing (there's that word again) playoff wins should have finally sealed Woodson's coffin. Somehow the first 9,997 nails (estimating) did not keep the lid down, but this must end now. Another year of Woodson will prevent this team from taking a step up. The Hawks won three playoff home games in spite of their coach. I hope the check-signers recognize this unavoidable truth and send the shaved gentleman* on his way.

Don't let my fears sully the celebration of a great series. Dwell on the optimism, not the indictment. I feel strongly about what I have said, but Woodson's tenure is well out of our hands (unless Atlanta Spirit reads this blog! shout out to my homeboys in the suits!). We do ourselves no good to agonize over decisions that we must accept.

*I say gentleman with no jest. I just trashed Mike Woodson and called for his head, but he was always respectful and mostly honorable. Other than a few back-handed remarks about coming out flat, Woodson never publicly called out his young players. Ironically, these remarks about preparedness only served to drive a few more nails in his own coffin. Still, he can go out like a man.

Game 7

Team Zalad is going to be having a collective heart attack during the entire game, so I'll spew my thoughts now.

Here it is: if we play like we did in Boston this entire season, bye-bye Shock The World. So how can we win the greatest victory in the history of athletic competition? Simple, two ways:
1. Play like the game is at Phillips arena. Replicate everything that we did right at home and repeat nothing we did on the road, period. In fact, it may be effective strategy if the players were just told to play the exact opposite way of how they would have otherwise. The Hawks are such a horrible road team that, yeah, they can be confident in their abilities and focus, but unless they radically change the way they approach and prepare for road games, esp. in a hostile environment during the playoffs, it's just hard to imagine these young players making up the minus-20 average points scored away from Phillip during this series.
2. Right before gametime, film Zaza in his Rocky hoodie going into the Celtics locker room and beating up every Celtics player, with emphasis on Cassell and Pierce. Then somehow switch that film with the motivational video the Celtics personnel prepared for the game.

Only if both of these things happen do the Hawks stand a chance. But you know what, after being there for games 3 and 7 and seeing game 4 on TV, I truly believe anything is possible with these guys. Their will to win games has been inspiring and a joy to witness. I just hope somebody, anybody, found a way to carry all of this inspiration to Beantown. As the greatest motivational speaker ever once said, "WE GO TO GAME 7, BABY!! GAME 7! GAME SEVENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!"



Injury note: I hope Marvin is completely healthy to play. The knee crash didn't look bad after watching the replay, but any knee troubles can mean trouble to his shooting and trouble to the team. Yeah, we can trash him all day about how much he sucks and how he's not even worth one CP3 assist, but he's been important to the Hawks play during this series, more so than I readily admit. Ever since Joe has been double-, triple-, even quadruple-teamed, we need that player who can consistently knock down open jumpers. Even though I'm still not completely sold on Marvin's jumper, it's been falling enough and he hasn't been rushing or shooting from too far away (he can only shoot from 16'-19', not an inch longer or shorter). Plus, who else do we have to knock down shots off passes from drives to the interior and said double- and triple-teams? I still don't want JSmoov to ever shoot from beyond 6 feet, JChill seems content on just driving the ball and getting layups and rebounds (even though he has a great shot and needs to hoist it up a lot more), and Bibby may pull a 2-8 again. Ok so this wasn't so much an injury note as it is more analysis of the offense, but whatever this may be the last time this decade you'll see me complimenting and expressing need for Marvin.

Interviews

You're probably expecting more than this right now. It's early morning before the Hawks biggest game since 'Nique vs. Bird, but this is all I can manage right now. My two favorite Hawks-related interviews of all time!

This was profoundly more inspiring at Philips. I guess Zaza is much more compelling when you can't understand a damn word he's saying.



Now, would I really be a Hawks fan if that interview didn't instantly drive me to find this gem:



Game 7.

Let's go Hawks! Unless we get a live blog going (no promises), consider this an open thread.

Zalad Tripp 2

Please don't let the series start tonight. I beg the basketball gods. At least let us get blown out in Game 7. Please.

For every JSmoov dunk I'll punch bonitis in the face and for every JJ 3 I'll kick Drew in the grundle. That's the extent I'm willing to go to win this game. I should go as far as to eliminate Mike Woodson so one of our assistants can manage this game...

May the Series Start TONIGHT

A playoff series doesn't start until the road team wins a game. LET'S GO HAWKS!!

Here are some things that the Hawks need to do and/or not do to have a chance in this game:
1. "Don't be satisfied." Maintain intensity! The Hawks love to start halves slow and have to make up a double-digit deficit. They need to want it for 48 minutes, and it starts with Horford and JSmoov, guys who provide energy through leadership and insane dunks, respectively. It's hard to measure intangibles like leadership, but Horford's effect on the team since the playoffs started cannot be understated. Playing that Rocky video, showing up Paul Pierce who could only respond by flashing menacing hand gestures, backing up Zaza's foreheadbutting, all of these and so many more things are influential on a young inexperienced team with a bad inexperienced coach.
2. Be mentally and emotionally strong. Do not waiver to the raucous Gardens crowd or the stifling physical Celtics defense. You know the crowd will be into it, and the Big 3 and company will come back with a vengeance at home. The Hawks were affected in the first two games and backed off when confronted with a hard foul or negative reaction from the crowd, but they need to just focus and play their game. The ATL home crowd really lifted the team and provided so much energy, esp. for JSmoov, but without the Sixth Man, the team has to keep a strong will without the help of twenty thousand fans. No one will expect Woodson to help the team in this aspect (or any other aspect?), but once again, the likes of Horford need to keep the team going when the going gets tough. And no matter how much momentum the Hawks gained at home, they'll most certainly be playing from behind in a hostile environment on the road. The Hawks weren't good playing from behind in the regular season, but showed they have the toughness in Games 3 and 4. I hope they can pull it off again on the road.
3. Continue doing what's been successful. Well, duh. But nevermind other NBA teams, the Hawks need to be reminded. Push the pace whenever possible; feed the ball into the post and let Horford and JSmoov force it to the rim or dish out to open shooters; play smart, hustle defense. Boston's offense will come out with more spark and aggression on their home court, and will probably run more crisply at home with the extra pass or strong drive. That will most likely mean lots of open shooters since the Hawks haven't really been playing the long range shot that well, Boston's shots just weren't falling in at Phillips. So it'd be good to see the Hawks players not miss their defensive assignments and give up easy baseline dunks or wide open shots to Rondo, Allen, or Posey.
4. Let the bench play. Acie has looked great all series even though he hasn't played at all the entire season, Zaza has brought toughness and timely rebounding, even Solomon can block a shot or two even though I have a heart attack everytime he goes near the ball. This is esp. important on the road, when the starters will be tired and worn down by the defense and crowd and the bench will need to give them a lift.
5. Give the ball to Joe. Enough said.

Game 4 Fracas

ESPN (TV so no link) is reporting that there will be no suspensions or fines as a result of the game 4 near-fight (blind Boston bias alert). I was expecting Marvin and Perkins to be suspended for stepping on the court (albeit barely), but suspending KG for shoving the ref was a long shot. I guess Stern is no longer applying the bench-leaving rule without exception. I bet many Suns fans are pissed at this ruling, and it will only fuel their conspiracy theories.

A Perkins/Marvin suspension would probably benefit the Hawks in game 5. Perkins was a rebounding force early in game 4, and Marvin was, well, let's just say that starting J-Chill instead of Marvin wouldn't be such a bad thing for the Hawks. Nevertheless, I do not think anybody should have been suspended. Of course, I thought the same thing about the Suns-Spurs incident last year. The league's inconsistency is a little puzzling. Either they were affected by last year's backlash, or there is a massive conspiracy to keep the Celtics in the playoffs (possibly involving robots).

>>Update<<

Story at ajc.com.