Sports Page Atlanta

The last game of the Hawks season is one most fans wouldn’t mind forgetting. From the opening tip of game 7 in Boston, you could see the young Hawks team overwhelmed and off balance from the tenacious and relentless attack of the Boston Celtics. Leaving the season on a 30+ point blowout would be a sign of concern for most teams in the NBA, but for the Atlanta Hawks it is actually a sign of hope. I am in no way condoning that nationally televised humiliation is something to pride your franchise on, but the fact that the Hawks were around to even consider a game seven against the NBA’s best speaks volumes about this organizations’ development. It was a unanimous opinion that the Hawks didn’t deserve a spot in the playoffs with their 37-45 record, but a thrilling 42 minutes at Philips arena quickly changed those theories.

Watching the rebuilding process, dating back to 2003, has been a primarily painful experience, but has finally started to show promise. The Hawks have historically been the laughing stock of the NBA with some of the managerial disasters (like consecutively missing two premier point guards in Deron Williams and Chris Paul), and producing a sub par NBA team on a similarly consistent basis. However, Atlanta can finally have an enthusiastic anticipation towards the coming season. The patients of the front office has landed a franchise all-star in Joe Johnson, a young and potential dominant leader in Al Horford, and a crowd pleasing show case of athleticism in Josh Smith. More importantly, this nucleus of young talent did enough advertising about next year’s potential in front of three ecstatic sold out crowds in Atlanta. Philips arena has been viewed as a home away from home for teams like Boston due to a weak Atlanta fan base, but times have changed. Performances like ones showcased in the 2008 post-season have turned the “High-Light Factory” into a legitimate advantageous home court for some of the loudest fans in the nation.

It is easy to get carried away with the enthusiasm carrying over from the post-season, but a lot must be done in order to ensure continued success. Initially, the Hawks need to acquire more depth at the shooting guard and center position. Needs like this are easily addressed in the annual draft, but the Hawks are the only team with out a draft pick in either round of the 2008-2009 draft. Not all hope is lost however, since the Hawks uncharacteristically boast an attractive salary cap situation. Consideration needs to be given to the soon expiring contracts of Josh Smith and Josh Childress, but making a play for another big man in free agency could pay huge dividends for this franchise. Moving Al Horford to the four spot, where he is more physically suited to play, would drastically improve his and the teams game. The Hawks have also limited their rotation to a 7-8 man roster, so acquiring respectable talent to hedge against inevitable injuries up and down the roster is a necessity. Atlanta’s 3-5 positions are all under the age of 25, and have only shown improvement with age. What isn’t getting better with age is the dormant contract of Speedy Claxton. Speedy has likely seen the last of his injury plagued NBA career, but the Hawks are still obligated to a 4 year $25 million dollar contract with him. He has only played in 42 games since arriving in Atlanta and will likely end up retiring before the start of next season. This will only improve an already attractive salary cap situation with the Hawks.

The youth of Atlanta’s talent, the revived fan base, and an attractive salary cap appears to be a very lucrative situation for who ever takes over the recently vacant Hawks GM position. With Billy Knight resigning in the past week, expect the front office of the Hawks to try to land an established and credible candidate to fill the position. The franchise cannot afford similar slip-ups that Billy Knight’s resume bolstered, and will make their decision accordingly. Also, don’t be surprised to see a coaching change in Atlanta either. GM’s typically like to bring in coaches of their choosing, and Mike Woodson hasn’t been setting the world on fire with his .323 win percentage during his tenure. Woodson may have bought some time with three impressive home upsets over the Celtics, but cameras couldn’t hide the obvious tension between him and some of his players (most notably Josh Smith). Mike D’Antoni would be a wonderful fit with the Hawks since he could utilize the Hawks athleticism into a run-and-gun type offense, where they have generally thrived. Whoever the Hawks land as a GM and/or potential head coach, this franchise has finally taken a turn for the better and has left its city with immeasurable hope and promise. Tip-off for the 2008-2009 season is only five months away, and who knows, it could be the year the Hawks finally bring home the trophy. Until then, we can only watch the remainder of the Hawks-less season unfold, and celebrate an unforgettable season.

Elliot Bernstein is a 22 year old native of Atlanta. He currently attends the University of Georgia, but will be graduating in August. He is an avid fan of Atlanta sports, and a very proud member of the Bulldog Nation. Elliot is extremely excited about working with SportsPage Atlanta, and believes the city of Atlanta has an exciting year of sports to look forward to!

It is very unordinary for Hawks fans to be tuning into a game around this time of year. In fact, it hasn’t been since 1999 that both the Hawks and their fans had a post-season to look forward to. Atlanta’s rebuilding process since its last playoff appearance has taken much longer than expected, but alas this franchise has something tangible to show its development. Entering the playoffs with a 37-45 record, the Hawks clinched the 8th seed in the east and finally ended the playoff drought in Atlanta.  As impressive as it sounds, there is little time for rejoicing with a showdown against the number one seeded Boston Celtics quickly approaching. The Celtics posses the best record in the NBA at 66-16 and will own the home court advantage for the entirety of the playoffs.  This season the Hawks have gone 0-3 against the Celtics and look to face a team that has been resting their starters for the past couple weeks.  The odds are clearly stacked against the Hawks in the opening series of the playoffs, but Atlanta stands in a position with nothing to lose.

Game 1 Summary:

It didn’t take but the first 1:30 min of the game to realize that the Hawks could not even come close to matching the energy or hunger of the Boston Celtics. The T.V, showed the Boston sideline feeding off the frenzy in the Garden while the Hawks nervously exchanged chest bumps and nervous stares. After the opening tip, Boston quickly set the tone with a flurry of both inside and outside scoring and suffocating defense at every position. Their defense completely removed Joe Johnson as a scoring option, and made open jumpers a rarity throughout the entire game. The Hawks were struggling to find simple passing lanes, and found themselves in a 14 point deficit early in the first half. Atlanta regrouped and capitalized on a couple Boston miscues, and cut the lead down to 4 with about five minutes to go in the 2nd quarter.  Doc Rivers quickly plugged Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce back into the line up to help secure a ten point lead going into the second half.

There were very few bright spots for Atlanta in the second half.  All of Boston’s starters began registering double digit scoring figures until they let their bench add to the scoring frenzy. The last 8 minutes of the game appeared to be the longest of the season for the Hawks. The T.V. showed an Atlanta bench filed with blank stares and disheartened body language. The team is very aware that they have another game in Boston before they can regroup in Atlanta, and will have to find a way to change the momentum of this series. On a brighter note, Al Horford continued his impressive Rookie of the Year campaign showing a lot of finesse and dominance in the low post. He never once appeared intimidated by Boston’s post presence, and displayed his enthusiasm and heart until the last minute.  Horford may prove to be the catalyst the Hawks need to change the momentum of this series, and generate some belief that Atlanta can compete against the NBA’s best. The teams are schedule to play game two in Boston on Wednesday, April 23rd at 8:30 p.m.

Elliot Bernstein is a 22 year old native of Atlanta. He currently attends the University of Georgia, but will be graduating in August. He is an avid fan of Atlanta sports, and a very proud member of the Bulldog Nation. Elliot is extremely excited about working with SportsPage Atlanta, and believes the city of Atlanta has an exciting year of sports to look forward to!

The Atlanta Hawks are currently clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Being in contention for a playoff berth this late in the season is very unfamiliar territory for this Atlanta franchise, since Atlanta has been in an eight year play-off drought. They have 12 games remaining on the schedule (7 home 5 away), and have no margin for error with New Jersey within half a game’s reach in the East. Fortunately for the Hawks, they have caught fire as of late, winners of 4 of their last 6, and only have three games remaining against teams with an above .500 record. At first glance, the odds of Atlanta securing a playoff berth seem good, but if history has taught us anything, it is that the Hawks can usually find a way to blow it.  Judging by their play throughout the whole season, it is obvious that the talent and the potential of a playoff caliber team is there, but there are a few things that need to happen for the playoff dream to continue.

Mike Woodson’s tenure as head coach in Atlanta has been mediocre at best. He has slowly increased the number of wins every season, (already matching last year’s total of 30 wins) but only marginally enough to make a difference. Flaunting a few garbage victories from late in seasons past are not misleading anyone, which has led to various rumors of GM Billy Knights attempts to fire Woodson. Although both sides deny these rumors, don’t be surprised to see Mike Woodson out as head coach if he finds a way to miss the playoffs this year. Throughout the course of the season, I feel Mike Woodson consistently gets out coached in the second half and fails to keep the team motivated for the full 48 minutes. Conditioning young players to perform like veterans late in games is no easy task, but after 4 years I’d hope he has coached his players to this standard.  In these last 12 games, the Hawks will enter each game as the favorite to win, and Woodson needs to be sure his team performs like it. There is no room for leads to be blown, or games to be overlooked at this point. To be blunt, Mike Woodson needs to coach like his job depends on it, literally.

Another area of concern for the Hawks is finding a dependable third go-to scorer. Joe Johnson has been putting up monster numbers during the Hawks recent hot streak, (26.4 ppg 7.4 apg) which has been one of the few consistencies all season. It also appears that Mike Bibby has gained control of Atlanta’s offense attack adding a much needed perimeter shooter to the lineup.  Both of these Atlanta guards have proven over time that they have the ability to produce on a consistent basis, but the Hawks are in desperate need of finding a third scoring threat. Josh Smith is Atlanta’s 2nd leading scorer (17.3 ppg), but anyone who has witnessed his perimeter shooting would agree that it is far from dependable. Smith is a player who has potential to be one of most well rounded offensive and defensive players in the league if he can come to terms that his scoring zone doesn’t extend past 15 feet from the rim.  His size and athleticism leads to consistent mismatches which are best capitalized in the low post. His south-paw orientation naturally puts him in a position to draw fouls and allow him to work against 2nd string caliber players due to foul trouble.  Dribbling has also been a weak point for Josh, which limits his perimeter game and is constantly exposed by better defenders.  I am an avid fan of Josh’s, but I feel that in order for him and the team to prosper he needs to confide in his role as a dominant low post player.

Marvin Williams has had games where he played like a 2nd overall draft pick, and others where I start kicking myself for selecting him over Chris Paul. It appears Marvin has adopted the identity as a pure 20-foot jumper shooter, which is slightly contradicting to his agile interior play in college. As with any pure shooter, Marvin’s scoring comes in streaks which needs to become more consistent down the stretch. Being the kick-out option for the Hawks offense, William’s number is called numerous times a game, and much of Atlanta’s success depends on his ability to knock down the jumper. Marvin is an extremely young talent who has shown he can be a dependable scoring option, but his game like most of the Hawks, has little room for error in the coming weeks.

Every player on the roster must know that no game can be overlooked.  Atlanta is a city thirsty for some post-season excitement, and the Hawks posses a major opportunity to capitalize on a playoff appearance.  The Hawks have a long way to go before they are in the discussion as some of the leagues elite teams, but there is much experience and benefit to gain if this team can hold the eighth playoff spot. Winning can cure a lot of problems with any team, and should serve as the catalyst the Hawks need to perform to their potential. The eighth seed in the Eastern Conference doesn’t appear to be that prestigious of an accomplishment, but for the Hawks it is a great sign on progress and hope for a promising future for the franchise.

Elliot Bernstein is a 22 year old native of Atlanta. He currently attends the University of Georgia, but will be graduating in August. He is an avid fan of Atlanta sports, and a very proud member of the Bulldog Nation. Elliot is extremely excited about working with SportsPage Atlanta, and believes the city of Atlanta has an exciting year of sports to look forward to!

Tuesday Night the Atlanta Hawks will play host to the Golden State Warriors inside Philips Arena. Both teams are teetering with an outside shot at a playoff spot in their respective conferences. So neither franchise is taking this match-up lightly. Golden State is coming off a five game home-stand where they won four of five with their only loss being to Atlanta. The Hawks are winners of two of their last three, and are looking to rebound from a tough road-loss up in Boston. Both teams have played much better at home this season, but they have also compiled a couple of high profile road wins as well.

Since becoming head coach of the Warriors, Don Nelson has adopted a fast paced, high scoring offensive scheme which places Golden State 2nd in the NBA in scoring behind only Denver. Golden State’s roster is filled with undersized yet athletically gifted talent. Baron Davis stands as one of the NBA’s most exciting and physically gifted point guards. He leads his team in points, assists, and minutes played, and looks to lead his team to a second consecutive playoff run. Davis’s experience and talents gained national recognition after the upset win over Dallas in the 2007 playoffs, but has since created a belief in the Bay Area that the Warriors are true contenders in the West. Baron Davis has been the center piece for the Golden State franchise, but a lot of the attention has been shifted to another guard on the team, Monte Ellis. Ellis was drafted in 2005 in the 2nd round by the Warriors and has done nothing less than impress since he has been in the league. He is having a career year, averaging 19.2 ppg, and has been on fire as of late. Ellis possesses a beautiful short range jumper, but it is his finesse around the rim that has his teammate, Baron Davis, taking notice of this destined all-star’s potential.

The Atlanta Hawks are a team that thrives in up-tempo games. Their lack of size in the post and streaky shooting from the perimeter are balanced by their young and athletic talent which is why they match up nicely with Don Nelson’s run’n’gun style. In their most recent game, Atlanta’s lack of low-post presence was exposed by bigger, quick players which the Warriors do not rely on. Joe Johnson emerged as a premier talent in Atlanta last year and has served as an anchor for this young franchise since his arrival from Phoenix. With the acquisition of Mike Bibby, the Hawks were looking to add another veteran to help develop much of Atlanta’s young talent, and provide an immediate upgrade at point guard. In Bibby’s first 8 games with Atlanta the team has gone 3-5 but have had tough match ups against San Antonio, Boston, Los Angeles and Utah on the road. Bibby’s record since he has been a Hawk has been mediocre at best, but his numbers have steadily improved. The team is slowly starting to find its identity with Bibby running the point, and looks to use his experience and leadership to carry them into a possible play-off spot and strengthen Al Horford’s rookie of the year campaign.

The match-up between the Hawks and the Warriors should be extremely entertaining. Look for a lot of fast-break opportunities, acrobatic scoring, and some sloppy defensive match-ups. Philips has been nick named the “High-Light Factory” due to the breath taking bursts of athleticism by Josh Smith and Joe Johnson, but do not be surprised to see Monte Ellis and Baron Davis leave Atlanta with a few high lights of their own. I expect a high scoring affair, and believe the match-up to watch will actually be under the rim between Atlanta’s stud rookie Al Horford and Golden States Andris Biedrins. Both players are prolific rebounders and second shot opportunities will prove to be critical in this game. Golden State is one of the few teams that Atlanta matches up well against, and will definitely have to rely on their home court to pull out a win. One does have to factor in the possibility of the locker room instability with the recent news that Billy Knight has tried to fire Mike Woodson three times, with the most recent attempt coming right after the Bibby trade. Despite the Warriors seeking revenge for a 110-117 home loss to Atlanta on February 22nd, I still see the Hawks sneaking out a close one in Atlanta. Regardless, the game is guaranteed to provide plenty of jaw dropping and exciting moments, and showcase some of the NBA’s finest talents.

photo credit: Frogbrother

Elliot Bernstein is a 22 year old native of Atlanta. He currently attends the University of Georgia, but will be graduating in August. He is an avid fan of Atlanta sports, and a very proud member of the Bulldog Nation. Elliot is extremely excited about working with SportsPage Atlanta, and believes the city of Atlanta has an exciting year of sports to look forward to!