Hawks against the World AND the Referees; down 0-2 going into Phillips Arena, who will Lead them? The Enigma of Josh Smith

Wow, well this has been embarrassing.  Its embarrassing that the referees are so damn bias they might as well be wearing a Indiana Pacers jersey (KEN MAUER!). It is so painfully evident that even the God-honest numbers scream "F*CK YOU, HAWKS!" With painstakingly accurate statistics brought to you by Jason Walker of one of my favorite Hawks blogs, Peachtreehoops.com, lets look at the numbers:

"I hate you." "Good. I hate you more, here let me show ya."

The Hawks foul stats for the regular and post-season:

Regular season: 17.9 personal fouls committed, 3rd fewest in NBA

Regular season: 18.7 personal fouls drawn: 7th fewest in NBA

Regular season vs. Pacers: 21.3 personal fouls committed

Regular season vs. Pacers: 18.0 personal fouls drawn

Playoffs: 25.3 personal fouls committed, 3rd most in playoffs

The Pacers foul stats for the regular and post-season:

Regular season: 20.2 personal fouls committed, 11th most in NBA

Regular season: 21.8 personal fouls drawn, 3rd in NBA

Regular season vs. Hawks: 18.0 personal fouls committed

Regular season vs. Hawks: 21.3 personal fouls drawn

Playoffs: 19.0 personal fouls committed, 4th fewest in playoffs

Disgusting.

 What is almost as disgusting is that the Hawks coach (minute-manager) Larry Drew has been completely out-coached in this series thus far, it seems he is even being tuned out by the players because no matter what he says the team plays lethargic or panicked, defensively unaware and one-step-behind almost every set play the Pacers run. I have NEVER SEEN so many dunks, layups, and threes so easily in a playoff game! Every so-called"expert" except for my man Henry Abbott of TrueHoop.com picked the Pacers to win, and so far the Hawks have done nothing to disprove the general public's skepticism.  In these 2 games of post-season, this team has given its fans NO REASON WHATSOEVER to be confident about their ability to win this series. The Hawks are not resilient through adversity, they don't have a clearly defined leader, and they have not shown the team-cohesiveness let alone the level the Pacers have shown, as painful as it is to realize, the Pacers appear to be a team on the rize, and the Hawks once again look UNDEFINED.

"Yup, 22% on jumpshots is good enough for me"

This was especially personified as usual by Josh Smith (again). His 16 points 6 rebounds and 3 assists in game 2 was clearly average at best, it is simply unfortunate (un-FAIR-tunate) that he only played 20 MINUTES in that game to get those numbers. Clearly if he would have played 40 minutes at that pace of production he would have gotten 32/12/6 which is exactly what he is CAPABLE of achieving when playing efficient and being reffed FAIRLY but these things hardly ever happen and in the playoffs, with the dictator DAVID STERN dictating which teams should win based on what is favorable TO THE LEAGUE, it so far seems outside the realm of possibility. The Hawks already have some demons of their own to conquer (bad defense, disorganized offense, bad shot selection, lack of cohesiveness, etc...damn) but with the referees so dedicated toward seeing Indiana advance for a probable Paul George vs Carmelo Anthony second round, it makes a tough road for these Hawks this 2012-2013 season. I mean, we all know this team was assembled to prepare for a free agent acquisition this off-season, but this didn't team win 44 games by accident. Josh Smith can be and SHOULD BE every bit as good as Paul George if not better! But he is not. Smith can have a big game and make field goals INSIDE 15 ft, but Larry Drew doesn't smack the back of his head like Mike Woodson did every time he takes an outside shot. By the way Congratulations to Mike Woodson for winning Coach of the Year in New York, it hasn't happened quite yet as I type this, but it will, and it is very well deserved. What was the Hawks record in Woodson's final season? 53-29, 4th best season in Atlanta Hawks franchise history. What was Josh's stats that year? 15.7 PPG on 50.9% FG which was a career-high because he only took 7 THREE POINTERS FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON! They fired Mike, Josh started firing three's again, they promoted the assistant coach and kept the same bad habits while failing to sharpen the good ones. It seems VERY simple, but to execute precisely in the pressure-filled moments of an NBA Playoff game against a quality team with a budding superstar like Paul George and the Indiana Pacers? THEY CAN! But its like the Hawks have a "kick-me" sign on their jersey, and the only ones kicking them are the refs and not the coach. The refs just hate these guys for no reason, even Tim Donaghy would probably agree!

Saturday's game 3 at Phillips Arena is undoubtedly the biggest game for the Hawks and the HUGEST test for Josh Smith in particular for obvious reasons. First and foremost as an ATLien! a kid born and raised in College Park, south Atlanta, GA, you are playing your favorite game for your city at the highest stage as the biggest star (POTENTIAL!). Second as a basketball player at the forward position. Dynamic skill set, good at passing, ball-handling, rebounding, great at any of those and sometimes all of those in the SAME GAME! but very far and few often. Al Horford is the best player on the team, yes, but Josh Smith this was supposed to be YOUR team after Joe got traded. There is no hindrance to improvement of weaknesses (free throws..i just don't understand, bruh), as the team HAD had several consecutive modestly improving successful regular seasons 2007 (since Al, before Larry Drew) but through it all since being drafted in 2004, Josh Smith has been VERY consistently AVERAGE and INCONSISTENT. Game 3 is the ultimate test for Josh Smith and the Hawks for if their is any resiliency in their make-up, if he is worth a maximum contract (he is going to get it regardless), and if there is any pride in the city, the franchise, and this collection of players commonly referred to as a "team", they will win. If not, they will go home, and we won't see very many of these faces back next season.

Hawks fail to secure 5th seed with loss to Raptors, playoff-opponent to be decided in Season-Finale against Knicks

I don't like what the Raptors did to us.

 I don't like how Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozen combined for 52 points. I don't like how the Hawks let the Raptors score 68 points in the first half on 29 for 36 field goals. I don't have a problem with Ivan Johnson and Mike Scott getting a double-double, but I have a problem with Jeff Teague and Josh Smith having a single-single. I am going to let this remind me of the way the Hawks were embarrased by the Washington Wizards on April 9, 2011 4 days before they opened the 2011 Playoffs against the Orlando Magic, and SHOCKED THE WORLD by defeating those guys, probably eventually driving Dwight Howard outta there, lol.

Tonight's game against the New York Knicks will be very important. Not only to decide the playoff opponent of the Hawks, but to test ourselves against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and a potential second-round match-up. Of course, there will be no Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Jason Kidd, or Al Horford, but even the bench players will be very motivated to step up to the challenge. As long as Ivan "the Terrible" Johnson is playing, the Hawks will have a very good chance to win.

Nevertheless, well done PlayoffsHawks fans. It has been a short,slightly tumultuous, but overall successful regular season for the 2012-2013 Atlanta Hawks. Just look at all the adversity the Hawks have overcome this season!

-Traded Joe Johnson for what would eventually become a every-other-game Deshawn Stevenson (NBA CHAMP!)

-Traded Marvin Williams for Devin Harris (which was actually a great trade for both teams)

-Zaza Pachulia out indefinitely with serious achilles injury

-Lou Williams our second leading scorer suffers a TORN ACL which will keep him sidelined for a year!

Josh Smith has missed games, Jeff Teague has missed games, Al Horford has missed a couple games, but look where the Atlanta Hawks stand.

44-37 t-5th in the Eastern Conference

• Al Horford averaging a career-high 17.4 PPG 10.2 RPG 3.2 APG (somebody PLEASE tell me why that is not an ALL-STAR?!)

• Jeff Teague averaging a career-high 14.6 PPG 7.2 APG 13 double-doubles this season 3rd behind LeBron James and Tony Parker(!)

• Josh Smith having another (in)CONSISTENT season averaging 17.4 PPG 8.5 RPG 4.1 APG BUT he also had 4 games of at least 30-5-5 which is tied for 6th best in the league

12/26: 31 points (13-25; 4-8 FT), 10 rebounds, and 6 assists (1 TO) in a 2OT win over the Pistons.
1/23: 30 points (15-24), 13 rebounds, and 8 assists (7 TOs) in a win over the Bobcats.
2/13: 30 points (13-20; 2-3 3pt); 10 rebounds, and 5 assists (0 TOs) in a win over the Magic.
3/8: 32 points (13-27; 3-9 3pt); 9 assists, and 8 rebounds (5 TOs) in a loss to the Celtics.

Now the Hawks are going to disappoint so many skeptics by being a formidable team in the Playoffs, they already THE NEXT layer of doubters for the Hawks to overcome. There is already a growing voice saying this particular Hawks team is not one to be taken seriously, due to free agency looming in the off-season.

"Then again, it may not matter where the Hawks finish. They are limping to the end of a season that will be surely be followed by major changes, with Drew and much of the roster -- including Josh Smith -- in the final year of contracts. Atlanta has lost 14 of its last 25 games, hardly a team on a roll heading to the playoffs. " -Associated Press, ESPN

 This is an inevitable truth, but that only gives this group more to prove in these playoffs, this Hawks team can beat EITHER of their potential playoff opponent, but of course there will be no expectation for the Hawks to do so simply because of the perception of the mainstream media about this franchise overall.Obviously, it would be more exciting to bring on "the Joe Johnson series", every game would have special significance to all the players and both franchises involved, Atlanta might even get a court-side Jay-Z sitting next to 2 Chainz, lol, but overall I believe in the Hawks ability to win the series against either team.

2013 Atlanta Hawks endure their toughest back-to-back of the Playoff Preparation Point of the Season, Crash Dwight Howard Homecoming Afterparty by Defeating the Lakers 96-92, Dahntay Jones Intentionally Injures Kobe Bryant!!...Right.

Honestly tell me, did you think these Atlanta Hawks had ANY chance against a Miami Heat team thats on a LeBron-led Wade County franchise-high 18 game winning streak in the peak season of Playoff Preparation MARCH MADNESS?!?

 I still really actually believe the Hawks can almost at any time #ShocktheWorld and beat a #ChampionshipCalibur team EVEN as currently constructed (which of course them WINNING the championship as currently constructed is a err...long goal) the BIGGEST DEAL about this 34-29 Hawks vs 33-30 Lakers Wednesday, March 13 game is (besides the Models Basketball League pre-game game ^_^) is our #truechampionship potential MISSING PIECE #franchiseplayer is coming off the BIGGEST GAME OF HIS CAREER (39 points 16 rbs 3 blks as a Los Angeles Lakers #rental) and is now back in his HOMETOWN where all eyes will be on Dwight Howard vs. Best Friend soon-to-to-co-free-agent Josh Smith.

Well, the Hawks did indeed SHOCK THE WORLD against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday! With a 96-92 victory and a severely sprained Kobe Bryant ankle, the resilient Atlanta Hawks topped with Lakers without the services of Jeff Teague, Josh Smith, Lou Williams, Deshawn Stevenson, and Zaza Pachulia. What has been lost in a sea of media coverage about the Kobe Bryant ankle injury, the play that created this situation, and whether or not it was intentional is the fact that a starting line-up of Devin Harris, Dahntay Jones, Anthony Tolliver, Al Horford, and Johan Petro totally OUTEXECUTED the Lakers league of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Earl Clark, and Dwight Howard. AND the Hawks bench outscored the Lakers 39-16 thanks to the likes of Kyle Korver (15), Ivan "The Terrible" Johnson (12), rookie John Jenkins(12), and 10-day contract Shelvin Mack(7).

Its hard to even pick a PLAYER OF THE GAME for the Hawks because it was such a balanced team effort, something the Lakers are still learning, but if we had to pick one it would have to be Al Horford, playing a team-high 41 minutes for 14 pts (7/12 FGs) 14 rbs 4 asts. He should have gotten AT LEAST 20 FGA but the Hawks played to their strengths and got the win (FAIR AND SQUARE, KOBE BRYANT!)
Don't be mad at me, just ask Steve Nash how they lost this game:

"We just didn't make any shots, I feel like I killed us tonight. I had good looks at the basket. I didn't convert."

 Steve Nash was 4/14 from the field, one of the things that led to a 55-43 Hawks lead at halftime. Kobe Bryant was having a tough game by halftime, 3 points on 1/8 shooting, and EVERYBODY expected Kobe to erupt in the 3rd, which he did, kind of... 20 points in the 3rd and the Lakers won the 3rd quarter 31-21 but the healthly lead build by the Hawks in the 1st half proved to be a solid foundation, the Hawks won the 4th quarter 20-18 on several great plays by Devin Harris, Kyle Korver, even Johan Petro and Ivan Johnson(!!). Ivan made a HUGE play down the stretch, with the Hawks leading 90-87 Al Horford drove along the baseline and missed the shot. But he hustled for the rebound and knocked it right to Johnson under the basket. He flipped in a reverse layup with 33.3 seconds remaining, pushing the Hawks ahead 92-87.

"I can't believe we are losing to the Hawks, gotdamn u Dwight!"

It was a gutsy win, but the aftermath of this victory caused a firestorm of debate. Kobe Bryant took to TWITTER (@KobeBryant) and complained that the last-play defense by Dahntay Jones was an INTENTIONAL FOUL!

#dangerousplay that should have been called. Period.

Dahntay Jones REPLIED on Twitter:

"Tape doesn't lie. Ankle was turned on the floor after the leg kick out that knocked him off balance. I would never try to hurt the man"

 "Leg kick that makes contact with a defensive player is an offense foul. Period. The nba changed that rule 2 yrs ago. Stop it!"

"I have the utmost respect for @kobebryant I would never try to intentionally hurt him. Just wanted to contest the fadeaway #thatsall"

 As a Hawks say I say "HA! Thats what you get!" but as a basketball fan I hate to see one of the G.O.A.T.s get injured on a freak accident during the LAST SECOND of the game with his team down by 2, but it looks like the NBA is making Dahntey Jones a SCAPEGOAT for this Lakers loss, as if the entire game came down to that one play, Kobe was going to MISS regardless! Nothing Jones did altered the shot whatsoever. So the Hawks go on to a 35-29 record, good for 5th in the east thus far, if the Eastern Conference stays in the same standings (it wont) we will be facing the Iso-Joe Brooklyn Nets in the 1st round of the playoffs! Now THAT would be a good series, the world gave the Hawks NO CHANCE against any playoff opponent during the Joe Johnson era, this first year without him, Hawks perception is not going to change, but a PLAYOFF UPSET could upset alot of people. Let's see the Hawks TURN UP for the Playoff-push season!

-WORLDinFAMOUS

After brilliant performance against Utah, Josh Smith has terrible game letting the new-teammate Morris Brothers shine in a 87-92 Suns Win

Well, Josh Smith can only be Josh Smith.

 This is why it takes an enormous amount of patience and FAITH to be a 2012-2013 Atlanta Hawks fan. Josh Smith has continually improved in his handling of responsibilities and being a team leader, but just as soon as a fan gets excited about what we see, he has a dud game. 5 points on 2/11 FGs 0/5 3ptFGs 1/4 FTs 10 rbs 5 asts and 5 TOs is not a good stat line, Josh.

It didn't help it was the same night Jeff Teague had an off-night as well. 6 points (3/10 FGs) 1 ast 4 TOs 2 stls.

Al Horford has his 8th game in a row of 20+ points with 20 pts (8/16 FG3 2/2 3ptFGs!) And what's up with Al Horford hitting all these threes lately?! Could it be Al has a little Dirk in his blood?

It could have simply all been divine in order for the only pair of twin brothers in the NBA to shine as they finally have unexpectedly become teammates, due to a trade-deadline deal with the Houston Rockets.

Markieef Morris was drafted by the Suns with the 14th pick in the 2011 draft and admitted it was a bit difficult to get used to playing without his brother, Marcus, early in his career. He became a good impact player, but now these identical twin brothers will get the comfort and empowerment of playing with each other on an NBA-level, and the Atlanta Hawks were simply the latest victims of that, likely by accidentally taking this 13-32 Suns team lightly.

Hopefully, this game was the wake up call the Hawks needed in order for them to play well enough to defeat the 29-30 Kobe-Bryant-will-not-be-denied-.500 Los Angeles Lakers.

Al Horford scores career-high as Josh Smith anchors a balanced offense and defense in a 102-91 win over Utah for 4th place in East

A brilliant performance.

The Utah Jazz were determined to get a win after a gut-wrenching overtime defeat against the Boston Celtics where Paul Pierce scored 26 points, 7 in OT to give the Jazz their 26th loss. Knowing the Los Angeles Lakers were gunning for their playoffs-necks, they were determined to beat the visiting 14-13 road record Atlanta Hawks.

But the Hawks were TOO GOOD!

Josh Smith led the Hawks in a brilliant performance as the Hawks went into the 4th quarter with a 82-56 lead and survived a futile rally for a 102-91 victory. Josh had one of his classic, awesome "i-cant-believe-this-guy-is-not-an-all-star-WTF-is-wrong-with-you-NBA-coaches" games, scoring 24 pts (9/19 FGs 1/4 3ptFGs 5/7 FTs) 14 rbs (3 off) 7 asts and 1 stl. He virtually controlled the pace of the game in all 42 minutes of his playing time, imposing his will on the game definitely helped Al Horford have an AMAZING GAME scoring a career-high 34 pts (14/22 FGs 6/6 FTs) 15 rbs (4 off) 5 BLOCKS! and 3 asts in 43 minutes of playing time. It was Josh Smith's 8th game this season with 7 assists or more and his 8th game with 24 pts or better.

Al Horford described the the grit and determination he and Josh play with now as the primary scorers on the team, "We just kept fighting and I kept fighting. we worked too hard to give it up," Horford said. "It was one of those things where you don't want to lose, so you kind of do whatever you have to do."

Al Horford seems to be the biggest beneficiary of the Joe Johnson trade for the Hawks, he has always led the team (AND led the LEAGUE at his position!) in Field Goal %, with more touches in a more balanced offense he has averaged a career-high scoring average, which has his season stats at 17.1 ppg 10.1 rpg 3.2 apg on 55.6% FGs, tell me that's not an ALL-STAR! but a career-low free throw shooting at 61.5% 



Jeff Teague had a great game orchestrating the offense and being at the right spots on time, he scored 19 pts and 7 asts, and Devin Harris has been a good duel-point guard starter with Jeff as he scores 12 pts.

The Hawks are now 33-23, on pace for a 48-24 record, an IMPROVED winning percentage from last season, they continue their road trip by going against the Phoenix Suns on Friday and the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Chalk up the Phoenix game as a win but that Lakers game is going to be very tough, as they fight for their playoff lives AND they get prepared to make their once-a-season trip to Phillips Arena on March 13, only 10 days after that game. 

Speaking of the Hawks/Lakers game, there is a special event happening before that game. There is a brand new sports organization on the bubble that is VEEERYYY intriguing in Atlanta. The ModelsBasketball League is a women's basketball league established in 2011 that promotes beauty and fitness through basketball, and they are actually opening up for the Hawks/Lakers game. They have previously played at Phillips Arena at Hawks/Grizzlies match-up on 02/06/2013 and at the Hawks/Nuggets on 12/5/2012, it may not be NBA level basketball but it is a whole 'nother level of beautiful ;) 

LET'S GO HAWKS! Until next time...
 

No All-Stars for the Hawks?! Thats okay, we'll still take 4th place in the Eastern Conference

What the hell is it gonna take for this franchise to earn some respect?! DWIGHT HOWARD?! He would probably fit right in with all the hate he has gotten this season, but the NBA coaches apparently weren't impressed by a 29-22 record, which was good for 5th in the Eastern Conference.

They weren't impressed with a career-reviving season from Al Horford, currently averaging 16.7 ppg 9.7 rpg 3.2 apg and 1.1 bpg, this season after suffering a SEASON-ENDING torn pectoral muscle last year.

They weren't impressed with Josh Smith's consistency and leadership, who's impact is MORE THAN THE STATS SHOW but still averaging 17.2 ppg 8.7 rpg 4.2 apg and 2.1 bpg

I don't know how they aren't impressed with Jeff Teague's emergence as a full-time primary ball-handler (They were impressed enough for him to be the ONLY HAWKS PLAYER DOING ANYTHING at All-Star Weekend, Skills competition), currently averaging 14.4 ppg 7.1 apg 1.5 apg on 45% FGs 37% 3ptFG and 87% FTs

Even KRACKER KORVER currently LEADING THE NBA IN 3 POINTERS MADE!! Was not even invited to the 3 point shoot out! Korver, acquired in an off-season trade with the Bulls, now understands the Hawks hate by the NBA, but there are no answers as to why.

 WHHHYYYYYY?!?!?! (i dont know, Kyle, I just dont know...)

How much better were the Hawks expected to be?? When Joe "$125M" Johnson was traded to the Brooklyn Billionaires (Nets) I recall several media outlets (ESPN, Sports Illustrated) predicting the Atlanta Hawks would be a LOTTERY TEAM, (they also predicted the Lakers would win about 70 games sooo....) In my humble perspective, the Hawks have OVER-ACHIEVED thus far! How could our franchise trade away half of our player payroll, our UNDISPUTED franchise player (very disputed, lol) and still make the be between 4th and 5th place in the Eastern Conference?! What kind of award do we get for trading away a SUPERSTAR (lol) getting ROLE PLAYERS in return, only ONE OF THOSE PLAYERS currently in rotation (Shout out to 2011 Champion DeShawn Stevenson!), and having a chance to IMPROVE OUR WINNING PERCENTAGE from last season!!

So what can we do to earn our respect? We aren't getting it from NBA coaches, we definitely aren't getting it from NBA referees (SHOUT OUT TO TIM DONAGHY!), hell we barely get respect from our hometown FANS!

The only way to get that respect is to win, and the Atlanta Hawks have been doing that lately through great defense and a balanced offense that lets all of the players shine, not just a cup of Joe...

Last 3 games
W 122-108 vs Kings MVP Jeff Teague 20 pts (8/18 FGs 5/5 FTs)12 asts & Al Horford 28 pts (11/14 FGs) 8 rbs 6 asts 2 blks
*3 players with over 20 points

W 103-102 vs Bucks MVP Al Horford 23 pts (11/22 FGs) 11 rbs 3 asts 2 stls 2 blks (with the GAME WINNING LAY-UP!) & Devin Harris 21 pts (7/11 FGs 4/5 3ptFGs)
*3 players with over 20 pts, Josh Smith with a double-double (15 pts 13 rbs 5 asts)

W 114-103 vs Pistons MVP Al Horford 23 pts (10/13 FGs) 22 rbs (CAREER-HIGH!) 3 asts 2 stls 2 blks & Jeff Teague 20 pts (6/13 FGs 2/4 3pt FGs) 12 asts
*Jeff Teague's 9th double-double of the season, one of the only point guards to post those numbers

Yeah, we lost to those Miami (c)Heaters when they scored a ridiculous 40 points in the 4th quarter, most of them while LeBron James was sitting on the bench, but that says more about their team than anything, beating the Miami Heat is a tall order for any team in the NBA right now, but I know that these Josh-Al-Jeff led PLAYOFFSHAWKS are not a team to be taken lightly this season.

Right now the Atlanta Hawks are 32-23, which is a half-game ahead of those Brooklynites for 4th place in the east.

Next game is tonight in the city of Salt Lake, this is one of the BIGGEST frontline teams in the NBA, let's see if we can help the Lakers playoff position tonight, shall we?


-WORLDinFAMOUS

the New Josh-led Atlanta Hawks are as much a Championship contender as any team in Eastern Conference, to be seen tonight in first game on ESPN

Hello, World. My name is World Infamous

Welcome to the PlayoffsHawks dominion, it is not quite a domain, but for now this is the site that will dominate all content related to Atlanta Hawks, NBA Basketball news, and End-of-the-World predictions, and i will do it with an interesting perspective, to say the least. 

Let me just say to begin, fuck all of you. 

and likely you will say as a reply, well, fuck you too, World Infamous guy. 

And that would be fine.

The question is will you fuck WITH me or try to fuck me. Or, ladies, you can just fuck me ;)

But i say all of this to say i will say what the fuck is i feel un-censored on this blog, and if you don't like it, FUCK OFF!

Josh Smith is the 3rd best forward in the East (LeBron, Carmelo) [HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH!]

Al Horford is easily a top-10 "frontcourt-player-a-position-formerly-known-as-CENTER"

Jeff Teague is EASILY a potential all-star-in-the-making 

AND

Louis Williams is one of the most talented scoring guards in the league and will thrive as a ATL-hoopslegend finally on his hometowns NBA team

Anthony Morrow is one of the best shooters in the league, Georgia Tech draftee

Kracker Korver is one of the best shooters in the league, excellent off-season acquisition 

Ivan the Terrible is still playing terrible, one of the worst role players in the league #WorldInfamous 

Devin Harris is adjusting to the role of being a role player, but he is still a very good guard

Deshawn "2011 NBA Champion" Stevenson

Zaza Pachulia is still the best foreign big-man name in the NBA

these guys can beat any team in the NBA on any given night, shit, especially if the Washington Wizards can defeat the Miami Heat when motivated, no matter the EGO, "We took this team lightly" is a loser-excuse!!

Tonight is the new Josh-led Atlanta Hawks debut on ESPN, the first time these ESPN guys are gonna be forced to talk about the Atlanta Hawks ALL NIGHT and actually OBSERVE the strengths and weaknesses of this team, and of course either display their inevitable bias against us or actually recognize the TRUE POTENTIAL championship potential core of this team! 

Listen, if Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant and them Lakers can be 7-8 and i guarantee they still expect a championship this season, there is no reason why my 9-5 Hawks, currently riding a 6-game winning streak can't whoop on these Nuggets to Shock the World when they see how good this team is when Josh and Jeff lead the offense and everybody plays in sync. 

I predict tonights game be a victory of course to the tune of 109-105 in a fast paced game that goes crucial possessions in the 4th quarter.

watch me or watch the game with me @DJ_BROUGHHAM

#PlayoffsHAWKS

Riding a wave of Hate and Underration, the Atlanta Hawks soar into the Playoffs as True Eastern Conference Championship Contenders

Who would have thunk it?

When the Atlanta Hawks started this lockout-shortened season with the starting 5 of Jeff, Joe, Marvin, Josh, and Al, very few critics and analysts had them as a top 4 team in the Eastern Conference.  Even fewer people would have guessed that 10 of their 15 players would miss a combined 111 games as a result of injury, and finally NO ONE guessed that in those circumstances the Hawks would still improve collectively yet again!

After sustaining a season-ending injury to the two-time all-star and top-shooting big man Al Horford, 2nd year head coach Larry Drew leaned more heavily on team captain and longest-tenured Hawks forward Josh Smith, with backup duties regulated to Zaza Pachulia and breakout undrafted rookie Ivan Johnson. There was an open public opinion that the Hawks would struggle to make the playoffs without Horford, but Josh, Zaza, and Ivan stepped out their games tremendously.

Josh Smith is the most oppressed multi-talented players in the league, this season was the first time Josh led the team in scoring and reboundng with a career-high 18.8 ppg and 9.6 rpg. It is an absolutely FELONY that he was not selected to make the all-star team! He got more touches and increased his efficiency while maintaining a dominant defensive presence.

But none of that matters now as the Atlanta Hawks are set to open up the 2012 NBA Playoffs with home-court advantage over the Boston Celtics. As we have seen previous post-seasons, the "ESPN experts" are so pigeon-holed into this pre-concieved stigmatizm of the Atlanta Hawks being an "average" team that reached their ceiling (a theory the Hawks disprove every season), they do not give the Hawks a fighting chance against any quality team in the playoffs (11/12 "ESPN Experts" picked the Celtics to win this series). Even the Hawks blog legend of pessimism himself Bret LeGree of Hoopinionblog.com predicted the Celtics win in 6. We've seen his pessimistic predictions bite him back before though (Magic in 5 LMAO), and I don't see any reason why he wont be just as wrong in this series prediction. Bret's reasoning for the pessimistic prediction is as follows:

With a healthy Zaza Pachulia, this series would be, from Atlanta's perspective, at worst a toss up. I'm not confident Pachulia can have a positive impact on the series.

If he can't, that puts tremendous pressure on the undersized Ivan Johnson, the oversized Jason Collins, the physically inconsistent Tracy McGrady and Vladimir Radmanovic, and the thoroughly inconsistent Marvin Williams to be as productive in doing the dirty work as Pachulia managed in Al Horford's absence.

Umm.. first of all, how could a fully healthy Zaza NOT make a positive impact on the series (for the Hawks)? 7 ppg 7 rpg is a pretty good season for a back-up/starting center, but the bigger question is this. If Zaza isn't able to go, why is there such little confidence in the bench's ability to pick up the production? No matter how inconsistent you call Marvin Williams, he can manage 7 pts 7 rbs. Our April Rookie of the Month, Ivan Johnson can handle 7 pts 7 rbs. Even the extremely overweight Dwight-stopper Jason Collins has made a field goal or two and grabbed a rebound or two this season! It stops there though because we haven't seen any good games out of Vladimir Radmonivic, but I believe the Hawks personnel has the skill to win.

There are a few Celtics players the defense needs to NOT-ignore in order to be competitive; Avery Bradley and Brandon Bass. We know Paul, Kevin, and Rajon are going to score, but keeping the other guys out of double figures and out of the 20s is imperative.

The deciding factor on who wins the series will be who can commit less turnovers, rebound, get FT attempts and make them, and of course crunch-time decision making.  And of course Joe Johnson has been a virtuoso this season in the clutch, people can talk about Joe's contract all day, they just use that as an excuse not to focus on his skill and the fact that he is the 3rd best shooting guard in the entire NBA (Kobe, Wade,..). This post-season is the ultimate test for every team, but especially for these Hawks, they are ready to "Shock the World" once again.

Hawks in 6

Joe Johnson 34 points lead the Atlanta Hawks to a wire-to-wire WIN in NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs Round 2 Game 1, MVP Derrick Rose twists ankle

The Atlanta Hawks have made an epic upset against the 62-win, Coach of the Year, Most Valuable Player christened, well disciplined Chicago Bulls.

On the game of the recieving his Coach of the Year award and with official announcement on the MVP just made, the Atlanta Hawks essentially bullied and dominated the Chicago Bulls led by an amazing performance by Joe Johnson. Ric Bucher said it was easily the best performance of Joe Johnson's playoff career, and he was not exaggerating. 34 points 12 for 18 FGs 5 of 5 three-pointers 5 of 5 free throws, 4 rebounds 3 assists 3 steals.

The night Thibodeau is saluted as the league's top coach, it's Drew who orchestrated yet another Game 1 upset on the road against a higher-seeded team to give the Hawks their first playoff victory in the second round since 1997. And on the eve that Rose is expected to pick up the league's MVP award, it's Teague who came out of nowhere to help hound the explosive Bulls guard into a 2-for-10 start from the field that led to an 11-for-27 finish from Rose.

the Hawks outscored the Bulls 31-24 in the 4th quarter to ensure the win, an amazing showing of an improvement this post-season in clutch situations.

Just as Joe Johnson himself said, he doesn't get all the glory when they win and although it was a great efficient scoring game from him, it was a true team effort with good decisions from everybody, even Josh Smith despite his 3 for 11 shooting this game. He had 8 points 6 rebounds 4 assists and 4 HUGE blocks.

Jeff Teague started bravely and took the challenge of the MVP Derrick Rose, his 10 points 5 assists don't show the great defense he played and how he kept the tempo very well.

The LAST time the Hawks won a 2nd round playoff game was in 1997, when they beat a 1st seeded Bulls team... In the United Center...by a score of 103-95.

Jordan went for 12-29, 0-6 from 3.

Im sure that had to 'Shock the World' back then as well.

Derrick Rose Chicago Bulls officially christened Most Valuable Player of 2010-2011 Reglular Season, NBA Playoffs series against Atlanta Hawks is Tough

Unfathomable.


It is official. The announcement has been made that Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls at 22 years 210 days is the youngest Most Valuable Player of the National Basketball Association since 1946 establishment.

The Chicago-born point guard had a breakout third season, averaging 25 points, 7.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds. After a summer with the U.S. National team, Rose made a significant leap in skill, assertiveness, and leadership on the court.

Almost similar to the last Chicago Bulls MVP recipient, Michael Jordan. He was the last Bulls player to win the award. He won it five times, with the latest being 1998. Earlier in the season, Jordan said Rose deserved the award.

Known for his quiet, humble demeanor, Rose raised eyebrows in late September when he told reporters his goal was to win the award.

"The way I look at it, within myself, why can't I be the MVP of the league?" he said. "Why can't I be the best player in the league? Why? Why can't I do that?"

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NBA Playoffs Series Chicago Bulls versus Atlanta Hawks off to a hot start, score 56-53 Bulls 7:56 left

2011 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Round One: Hawks VS Magic Game 2 preview

Game 1 Recap

Dwight Howard: "I Hate losing, especially to the Hawks"
If Dwight Howard hates losing to the Hawks he may as well start thinking about joining them.


In a wildly epic Game 1 of this best-of-seven series, the Hawks controlled the entire game to a 103-93 victory. It was an amazing display of the Hawks' team advantages versus the Magic's and the Hawks obviously triumphed. Dwight Howard scored a playoff career-high 46 pts (16/22 FGs 14/22 FTs) grabbed 19 rbs but only mustered 1 block and 1 assist. Jameer Nelson scored 27 pts (10/18 FGs 4/7 3ptFGs) but only managed to dish 1 assist. The Atlanta Hawks emphasized their advantage with their execution of the motion-offense and their amazing shot-making abilities led by Joe Johnson 25 pts (9/16 FGs 7/8 FTs) Jamal Crawford 23 pts (7/14 FGs 4/7 3ptFGs ) Al Horford 16 pts (7/14 FGs ) and yes, even Josh Smith 15 pts (6/12 FGs 1/2 3ptFGs)

Those guys had an outstanding offensive game which surely is a large portion of the reason the Hawks won, but the win-shares are at least equal with the strong play of 2 defensive specialists, Jason Collins and Kirk Hinrich. Collins only played 18 minutes and scored a total of 6 fouls and 1 point but his defensive work against Howard played a large role in not allowing the Magic to make a comeback in the second half. Kirk Hinrich has always been known as a defensive specialist, but he even outplayed Nelson on offense in the first half.

We here @PlayoffsHAWKS are avid readers and supporters of Hoopinionblog.com an Atlanta Hawks analysis run on pessimism and truth (Hence the inconsistent optimism this blog was born from), and this game was a win so beautiful it may have for the first time prompted owner Brett LaGree to start a post by saying, "A tremendous win for the Atlanta Hawks."

Game 2 Preview

The Hawks played game 1 perfectly and now Orlando is forced to make adjustments.

Or maybe they won't. Because the Hawks played PERFECTLY, probably for the first time all season, and many naysayers are saying it is unlikely that the Hawks will submit another efficient offensive showcase like in Game 1. Its also unlikely Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson will score 73 points on 26/40 FGs . The truth of the matter is that the Atlanta Hawks have 6 players who can and most likely will average double figures, with 2 of those guys(Johnson and Crawford) are almost guaranteed at least 20 ppg. Not only does Atlanta have the personnel to defeat this team, they definitely have the confidence.

"Just to continue to do it with five guys, continue to make the right play giving up good shots for great shots. That's why we shot such a high percentage. Guys passed up some good shots but we got great shots in the long run, we worked the clock well. We will continue to do things well that were successful for us." --Jamal Crawford 4/19/11

Yes, the Atlanta Hawks seem to have a good game plan, it is absolutely astounding that the Hawks made 34/74 FGs and only 8 FGs were layups. While the Hawks will most likely stick to the script, the Magic are surely going to make some adjustments.

"Our whole focus has been on protect the paint and they haven't been looking to get to the rim a whole lot, containing perimeter jump shots and the Hawks mid-range shots are now our biggest concerns. Even the (Hawks') 51 percent (field goal percentage) was deceptive, because going into the fourth (quarter) they were at 58 percent and that's when the game was decided, so they really had their way with us. And we've got to be a lot better defensively, no matter what we do offensively. If we're going to have to score 105 or 106 points every night to win, then we're gonna be in trouble." -- Coach Stan Van Gundy 4/18/11

Coach Larry Drew seems very confident, but healthily concerned about the way his team won the game.

"We don't want to be a team that relies on just shooting jump shots... We like to open the floor up. It won't be a situation of us just settling for the perimeter. We've got to find that balance of inside-out. As dominant as Dwight is on the inside, we can't shy away from taking the ball to the basket. We have to be the aggressor."

So a few minor adjustments to look for in tonight's game:

• fast break points - Atlanta won the fast break battle 11-10 in Game 1 so look for the Hawks to run even more to challenge the Magic speed and athleticism, where they know they have an advantage
• rebounding - Dwight Howard is almost guaranteed to average 20 rpg because he always does in the post-season but look for Al and Josh to step up on the boards to tighten up that 40-29 advantage the Magic had in Game 1
• Marvin Williams - why not 7 players in double figures? Marvin scored 6 points on 2/3 FGs in Game 1 but also got 2 crucial steals and played excellent team defense, if he can get a few more points it will be difficult for Orlando to overcome

Do you think the Hawks are still excited with a Game 1 win and maybe they'll be satisfied with a 1-1 split going to Atlanta? Is taking a commanding 2-0 lead back to Phillips Arena too ambitious?

"Oh No. We came here with the objective to get two games, we put ourselves in this position and now we look forward to getting Game 2 on Tuesday night." --Jason Collins

ATL! O Le Do it.

2011 Eastern Conference Playoffs Round 1: Orlando Magic versus Atlanta Hawks, could be a monumental upset in the making

Ah, Yes. The NBA post-season, where amazing happens, rivalries are born, and championships are won. This 2011 NBA Playoffs should be one of the most exciting and unpredictable NBA fans have seen this 21st century, and although every matchup has a favorite, most underdog teams are perfectly capable of an upset.

The Atlanta Hawks have the most ability and the biggest opporitunity to make an upset in the 2011 post-season against the Orlando Magic.

No, the Atlanta Hawks have not looked ready to make such an upset in the regular season, they have looked confused, lethargic, and non-chalant on the court in many BIG regular season games this year, and that was even before one of the most foolish trades in Hawks franchise history; Kirk Hinrich for Mike Bibby, Jordan Crawford, and Mo Evans. They traded 2 solid rotation players and a starter for a role player, having gone 11-20 since that trade, many are saying these Atlanta Hawks look like the team they were in 2007-2008 before Mike Bibby arrived, a 37-win team.

But the Orlando Magic haven't been the Eastern conference championship contender that they have been in previous seasons. One reason is Orlando has not shoot the three-ball well in its regular-season games versus the Atlanta Hawks this year. In the four games(3-1 Hawks), the Magic shot 19-of-84 (22.6 percent) beyond the arc. The prevailing wisdom is that Jason Collins' one-on-one defense on Howard in the paint frees his teammates to stay closer to their men, denying them open attempts from long range.

Regardless of the defense, Dwight Howard is going to play well. Likewise, Al Horford is going to play well. Orlando knowns Jameer Nelson is going to play well.. is Joe Johnson going to play well? On the first year of the most salary-cap crippling contract in Hawks franchise history, Joe had the least productive season of his career. Of the past 23 games since the all-star break where Joe played at least 30 minutes he has only scored 20+ points in 5 games and the Hawks have gone 9-17. Jason Richardson is a streaky scorer, but he has younger legs than Vince Carter and he can give opponents fits when he is on. Josh Smith is one of the most versitile players at the forward position, he may not outscore you, but he can make the right play at the right time to fill the stat sheet.

The Hawks Doom:
Defense. They need to watch and listen to Charles Barkley's hit song featured on the T-mobile commercial, because this team plays with no defensive passion or strategy whatsoever in the game. Maybe, oh, maybe the "NBA Playoffs" logo on the floor and the fact that they are the rightful underdog in this series will inspire some defense, but from what we have seen thus far this season, that is a long goal.

Kirk Hinrich. Is is painfully unfortunate that soon-to-be-former Hawks GM Rick Sund traded two solid rotation players and the only proven veteran in the playoffs for a guy that is not going to make any significant impact whatsoever in any aspect of the game.

Heart. This team is full of questions and have-not; Is Joe Johnson worth the money? Whats wrong with Josh Smith? Is Al Horford getting the ball enough? Whats wrong with Jamal Crawford? They don't have the depth, they don't have the passion, they don't have the love and respect for the game that makes players like Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose great.

Ryan Anderson. I hope the Magic dont figure this out in this series, but the Magic "Big Three" are Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, and Ryan Anderson. Ryan Anderson has progressed into the best shooter on the team and at 6'10 he can really fill that Rashard Lewis role. He plays smart and is very unselfish, if Coach SVG can even get around to starting him at PF the Hawks will be in big trouble

The Magic Doom:
Joe Johnson. Though Joe did not have an outstanding year, the playoffs are a fresh start with hieghtened intensity. This will be Joe's 4th consecutive season leading this team to the playoffs, and none of the Magic defenders can match up with Joe physically. If he gains some resiliance and a stronger will to win, the Magic are in trouble.

Josh Smith. J-Smoove is the X factor in almost every game, he has the ability to average 20/10/5/2/2 but since he has never ever consistently played at his potential level 16/8/4/1/1 is a bit more realistic for him to actually achieve. Josh has had ONE great game in his playoffs career (2007 Eastern Conference Round 1 Game 5) if he adds another during this series, he alone can will Atlanta to a victory.

Gilbert Arenas. God Bless the heart of GM Otis Smith for making this trade, some people thought this trade would be the exact change of scenery to transform controversial Gilbert back to near-unstoppable scorer Agent Zero. Instead Gilbert got totally complecent shrunk even further into the abyss as a bit role player. Now averaging 8.3 PPG as a Magic, he has not probably set the record for the fastest fall from 30PPG superstar franchise player to bench warmer of all time.

Overall, we here at PlayoffsHawks say this is going to be a VERY exciting series, i predict at least 3 scuffles with Zaza Pachulia getting in the face of Dwight Howard at least once and also Dwight getting suspended from technical fouls for one game. In a GRUELING highly contested 7-game series, Joe Johnson puts on a superstar performance scoring 40+ points in the decisive game 7 and the Atlanta Hawks improborable move to the second round for the 3rd year in a row.

Hawks in 7

NBA make way for King Durant, the FIBA World Champions youngest-in-charge

Kobe.LeBron.Wade.Howard. How about Kevin Durant? This has been a spectacular basketball summer, but not because certain players moved from one team to another, or the controversy of certain player's personality characteristics (or lack thereof). June through September has been a historic basketball summer because the world may be witnessing (...) the emergence of one of the most young-wise, talent well-rounded, humble-coachable LEADERS in the game of basketball. We are witnessing the public perception transition of this basketball player from "young, talented scorer with unlimited potential" to "possibly the best in the business". Of course, this perception is magnified because team USA is playing in the FIBA tournament, and the rest of the best are at home watching and getting ready for the 2010-2011 NBA season (which will be one of the most exciting seasons in NBA history), but let this article explain how this transition is simply the moments of clarity of the truth.

When Kevin Durant was a 19-year-old rookie, after playing only a few NBA Summer League games, Kevin was invited by Mike Krzyzewski to the Team USA basketball challenge with established NBA stars like Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, and Chris Bosh. Kevin did well, scoring 22 pts in a game, but he was ultimately cut from the team in favor of the experienced veterans that eventually won the gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The experience proved to be invaluable to Kevin, as he started his rookie campaign with a swagger from playing with the best players in the world before the season even started.

He established himself as a leader in scoring immediately and went on the average 20.1 ppg, the first rookie to do so since Allen Iverson. That off-season Kevin experienced something very few NBA players ever experience, which is the movement of a franchise from one city to another, the Seattle Supersonics became the Oklahoma City Thunder, this situation only motivated Kevin even more. He went on to average 25.4 ppg 6.5 rpg 2.8 apg, his scoring was 6th in the league behind Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dirk Nowitzki, still Kevin Durant narrowly missed all-star selection, and his team went 23-59. With a burning desire to win and improve, Kevin Durant made another quantum leap in his scoring and leadership, in 2009-2010, Durant averaged 30.1 ppg 7.6 rpg 2.8 apg, and the Oklahoma City Thunder went 50-32, Kevin became the youngest player in NBA HISTORY to average 30 ppg, and the 27-win improvement was the 6th best single season turnaround in NBA history.

The Oklahoma City Thunder made the playoffs as the #8 seed and lost in a 6-game-series, they gave the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers a tough series, but that leads us to today. When Mike Krzyzewski began building the team that would compete in the FIBA World Championship, it was assured that not only was Kevin Durant on the team, but he would be established as a leader on the team, and he was the only player guaranteed a spot on the team! Regardless of the fact that all of the 2008 Team USA Olympic gold medal winners declined to do the FIBA tournament, it was a powerful vote of confidence for Kevin Durant.

The FIBA world championship basketball team was formed. Derrick Rose, Lamar Odom, Chauncey Billups, Russel Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Kevin Love, Tyson Chandler, Eric Gordon, Andre Igoudala, and Rudy Gay. ESPN analysts called it the "B" team, but the way the team is structured, it is every bit as talented as the 2008 Olympic team, with Kevin Durant as its Kobe Bryant leader. On September 11, 2010, with a spirit of patriotism bursting through the players of Team USA, Kevin Durant, the leading scorer of the team (22.1 ppg, the highest average of any Team USA player in FIBA history) scored 38 points in a 89-74 victory over Lithuania, another record broken (Carmelo Anthony's 35 pts in 2008). Today, Kevin Durant will lead Team USA to the FIBA World Championship, and he will break yet-another record, being the youngest Finals MVP in FIBA history. And he will do it as humbly as he announced his contract extension, maybe not through his twitter account (@KDthunderup), but on the court where the truth is always shown through the game of basketball.

Summer BLOCK BUSTER TRADE! Ariza to Hornets, Lee to Rockets and more

Ok, it looks like New Orleans is serious about keeping Chris Paul and they are making moves to build a team around him. There was a 4-team 5-player trade that all teams involved came out a winner.

New Orleans sent: Darren Collison
New Orleans received: Trevor Ariza

Houston Rockets sent: Trevor Ariza
Houston Rockets received: Courtney Lee

Indiana Pacers sent: Troy Murphy
Indiana Pacers received: Darren Collison, James Posey

New Jersey Nets sent: Courtney Lee
New Jersey Nets received: Troy Murphy

There was also a separate trade involving the New Orleans Hornets and the Toronto Raptors, a 1-for-1 deal: Julian Wright (6-8 F) for Marco Belinelli (6-6 G)

The Big Shamrock... Shaquille O'Neal is the newest Boston Celtic, ranking the top 5 Eastern Conference

Shaq introduced as Celtic in news conference

Welp, the Eastern Conference just got tougher. I suppose for Shaq the Celtics are a better destination for the sake of winning, he wouldn't have to be THE MAN on the team the way he would have been with Atlanta, he won't have the pressure of dominating the way he would have had to for the Atlanta Hawks to be successful. And of course, with the Celtics having won the 2008 Championship and possibly were a Kendrick Perkins-injury away from a 2010 Championship, it makes Boston a much more attractive destination for the chances of winning. Shaq will be teamed with all 10+ season veterans and collectively they will be a very strong, big, and wise basketball team.

So where does that leave the Atlanta Hawks? With no significant additions to the roster and every other elite team in the East loading up, how can the Hawks expect to seriously contend in the Eastern Conference? Simple. Chemistry. Consistency. The Atlanta Hawks have improved in the category of wins every season for 6 seasons now, if the Hawks can keep the chemistry improvement and Joe Johnson can be the leader this team has STILL been missing, it is not impossible to see even a slight improvement to 55 wins SHOULD make Joe Johnson an MVP candidate, even though he will probably not be awarded, because he is not popular enough.
This season will be the ultimate test for Joe Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks to see if they are a true title contender, we shall see ;)