2008-2009 Season Preview, Atlanta Hawks, Eastern Conference Assessment Predictions

Southeastern Division:





Orlando Magic ( 52-30)


The Orlando Magic are better this season than they've ever been and the Magic are the #2 seed in the eastern conference and a legitimate championship contender at least the eastern conference. Alot of people are feeling that Micheal Pietrus, a 6-6 G/F with GS last season, will not be a significant upgrade over Maurice Evans. I think that Pietrus will be at least as good as Evans and start at SG to add stability to their team, consistent shooting and slashing ability that will make requirement-doubling Dwight Howard a big price to pay, if he learns to hit his free throws(68.6% FTs). Courtney Lee will be a good player, he will probably play sparingly, but will score and play defense. and Anthony Johnson is a highly underrated 34 year old point guard, he was always a veteran leader on the hawks and played strong and clutch down the stretch of those few and far wins, and he hasn't slowed down a bit, playing big minutes for the Magic. Kenyon Dooling was a decent guard (not PG) who could shoot but he was always a additude problem and felt he was better than he was, the Magic will not miss him, and the other best bench player, Kieth Bogans will be better in his place. Rashard Lewis (31) will be better, Hedu Turkoglu(29) will play better but score less points than last season, and Jameer Nelson(25) will be the Derek Fisher point guard leader, scoring and passing well, hitting free throws, and making good decisions.


and this is all outside the gold-medal DWIGHT HOWARD factor, whom will average
25.5 ppg 14.9 rpg 2.5 asts 2.1 blks 60.1% FGs 67.2% FTs
being the team leader offensively and defensively to make him an MVP candidate






Washington Wizards (50-32)
Gilbert Arenas is never going to stop talking, his perspective is one of the realist voices and he is one wildest personalities in the NBA, but his game is about to talk alot louder than he will. Gilbert Arenas is still the man on that team, he is going to adjust his game to fascilitate and score as great as he knows he can, but it all starts with GILBERT, it all depends on him if he can make the BIG three of Caron Butler, Antwan Jamison, and Agent Zero ALL all-stars and have their best season in franchise history, and the pieces around those three aren't too bad either. Deshawn Stevenson kept us entertained while Gilbert was gone, he made himself an important role player on this team, and now he has to adjust his play with Gilbert, he should score a little less but still hit make big plays and get Gilbert the ball for big shots. The young boys of the Wizards are gonna improve and play big minutes this season, Nick Young and Andrey Blatche. Blatche is already really underrated as a 22-year-old 6-11 small forward matchup nightmare on offense or defense, he is going to play more with 23-year-old Nick Young, the second year ROY contender. Brenden Haywood will be solid as usual, Etan Thomas is back so we hope they don't fist fight again, but if they share the center they'll both be solid, we're pretty dure Antonio Daniels is still there, but we don't care because in order for this team to be great its going to take the following:


Gilbert Arenas - 25.5 ppg 4.3 rpg 6.4 apg 44.3% FGs 36.7% 3pt FGs 80.1% FTs
Caron Butler - 20.3 ppg 5.6 rpg 3.4 apg 46.1% FGs 27.3% 3pt FGs 83.4% FTs
Antwan Jamison - 17.4 ppg 9.3 rpg 2.1 apg 45.3% FGs 36.4% 3pt FGs 74.2% FTs


Miami Heat (30-52)


Dwayne Wade is (probably) the best guard player in the NBA, he could very well be the second coming of Micheal Jordan, score 35 ppg this season, and lead the NBA-worst, used-to-be-champion Miami Heat to respectability and playoffs in 2009. Problem is, if he does he will need Jamaal Magloire and Udonis Haslem to play defense, the rookies, Mario Chalmers and Micheal Beasley to play their role, and James Jones to hit threes off the bench, i.e James Posey. And they can do it, maybe Micheal Beasley is as good as some say he is, he could average 17 pts 7 rbs and be the Rookie of the year, maybe Shawn Marion won't get traded even though he and Beasley are the same man Marion will play PF and average 17 pts 10 rbs, Jamaal Magloire will be reborn at 30 and averag 9 pts 9 rbs and Mario Chalmers starts and is rookie of the year candidate with Beasley averaging 10 pts 4 rbs 5 asts, i.e Rajon Rondo. Maybe James Jones is a 6th man of the year candidate and averages 10 pts off the bench and leads the league in 3pt FG%, maybe Alonzo Mourning DOESN'T get bought out to play for a real contender, and plays backup to Jamaal Magloire or Mark Blount......and plays his heart(no pun) out.


But in order for any of this to be a possibility, it all starts with gold medal Dwayne Wade, being the best PER player in the league and a likely MVP award winner averaging

Dwayne Wade - 33.4 ppg 5.4 rpg 5.4 apg 52.4% FGs 32.3% 3pt FGs 85.1% FTs

Charlotte Bobcats (27-55)




Sigh. Micheal Jordan, Larry Brown, and Bob Johnson is a train wreck in immediate unfolding. This is a team that looks good on the surface but when the surface is seen through you realize that this is a franchise that has not yet achieved respectability yet. Larry Brown is going to prove himself as a curse to young teams and give this franchise its worst record since its first year in business. D.J Augustine is a good player, but he will not be good until and only until he leaves that situation, he and Raymond Felton are going to beef, Adam Morrison is going to play big minutes and Gerald Wallace is going to demand a trade. Jason Richardson will remain good, averaging 20 ppg, but in the attempted development of Adam Morrison, Richardson will take less control of the team and turn Vince Carter, just not caring. Now, the focal point of the defense, and maybe one day the offense, Emeka Okafor, will also play up to his contract, he may have a career year, and he is the deciding factor on whether or not the Bobcats will completely suck or just be bad, if he's good (15 ppg 10 rpg) the Bobcats will only be bad, but its set in stone, the Bobcats will be at least bad. Sorry, fans.


Emeka Okafor - 15.2 ppg 10.1 rpg 2.1 bpg 52.1% FGs 67.8% FTs
Jason Richardson - 18.7 ppg 5.1 rpg 3.2 apg 44.3% FGs 38.1% 3pt FGs 71.2% FTs
Gerald Wallace - 16.2 ppg 7.1 rpg 2.1 apg 1.8 spg 43.2% FGs 78.2% FTs



THE Atlanta Hawks (47-35)




The Atlanta Hawks, its our year baby. I speak as a general basketball fan first, knowledge and realistic expectation second, and hometown fan bias last. And with that being said, i think the Hawks are going to increase their win total by at least 8, but im betting 10, and i'm going to explain why. The Atlanta Hawks spent the first 20 games of the season, tinkering with the lineup, trying to find the best players for positions and matchups, often Anthony Johnson and Tyronne Lue started at PG, when the Hawks got Bibby, they were 22-28. They took some getting used to on the road, when the Hawks went 4-11 before their first winning streak finished 11-7 for a 37-45 record and the #8 seed in the 'Leastern Conference'.This season, the starting center is no rookie, the PG situation is not unstable, joe johnson will not be injured and Josh Smith, the leader offensively and defensively for this team will have his best season yet again. Mike Bibby will be the good PG consistently the Hawks have lacked since Jason Terry, he will be the leader to improve his teammates with passing first, scoring second. Joe Johnson is livid he wasn't chosen to be on Team USA, he will play consistently great like he always has, and be a third time all-star this year.


Mike Bibby - 14.5 ppg 4.5 rpg 6.5 apg 46.3% FGs 37.4% 3pt FGs 78.9% FTs
Joe Johnson - 20.3 ppg 4.2 rpg 5.2 apg 48.4% FGs 39.7% 3pt FGs 82.1% FTs
Marvin Williams - 12.2 ppg 5.2 rpg 2.3 apg 43.1% FGs 32.3% 3pt FGs 76.4% FTs
Josh Smith - 20.8 ppg 9.2 rpg 3.3 apg 3.1 bpg 2.1 spg 48.9% FGs 33.7% 3pt FGs 81.3% FTs
Al Horford - 14.2 ppg 10.4 rpg 2.1 apg 1.4 bpg 1.2 spg 51.4% FGs 80.1% FTs
bench

Maurice Evans 8.7 ppg 3.2 rpg 3.2 apg
Flip Murray 6.5 ppg 2.3 rpg 2.1 apg
Zaza Pachulia 5.1 ppg 4.8 rpg
Acie Law IV 4.2 ppg 3.2 apg
Jeremy Richarson 2.3 ppg
Randolph Morris 1.4 ppg 2.2 rpg



Southeast Division:

Orlando Magic (52-30)
Washington Wizards (50-32)
Miami Heat (30-52)
Charlotte Bobcats (27-55)
Atlanta Hawks (47-35)






Atlantic Division:

Boston Celtics (58-24)
Toronto Raptors (48-34)
Philiadelphia 76ers (50-32)
New York Knicks (24-58)
New Jersey Nets (18-64)



Central Division:

Chicago Bulls (44-38)
Cleveland Cavaliers (51-31)
Detroit Pistons (48-34)
Indiana Pacers (30-52)
Milwalkee Bucks (40-42)





1.celtics
2. magic
3. cavs
4. wizards
5. 76ers
6. pistons
7. raptors
8. hawks

GM Rick Sund signs Flip Murray, Atlanta Hawks starting to look like a team...

its a beautiful day in sports worldwide, the most beautiful sports event ever is in full effect, as is basketball for the USA and the NBA off-season

team usa is dominating in every game (except australia, we'll get them back later), it's too bad we didn't see Childress play with Greece to be dominated with the rest of them, that would make him home sweet home real soon, lol, but i hope Josh Childress is the star player and MVP of that team and league, so when he comes back to the hawks it would be monumental

the hawks are moving on without Childress for now though, GM Rick Sund continuing to explore the free agent market and make good decisions. GM Rick Sund recently signed Flip Murray, a 6'3 combo guard who played well in indiana and detroit, to be a veteran leader, scorer off the bench. Mike Woodson and Flip are on one accord (for now) and the hawks team is looking very strong for this upcoming season. There had been questions of team chemistry in the past, urgenct contract matters of important parts of the team and organization were rightfully a concern, after the resignation of the man that drafted and traded for all of the current hawks players of today, we chose someone we felt could make good decisions for the organization and team, and even though we have gone through the ludacris of Josh Childress, there seems to be some method to the madness after all.

This is a realistic opinion prediction of the Atlanta Hawks and the Southeast Division, i am a hawks blogger that believes Josh Smith is the best player on the team, Mike Woodson is the man for the job (for now) and the Hawks could win 45+ games this upcoming season, realisticly.

Southeast Division Alalysis:

Orlando Magic

Washington Wizards

Miami Heat

Charlotte Bobcats

this is actually going to be detailed analysis of the atlanta hawks of this season, , all factors considered:

coach Mike Woodson the hawks are better defensively than they have ever been, they play with a new confidence and swagger they gained in the playoffs, great home record, but also impressively winning on the road against teams that aren't supposed to lose to the hawks at home, earning the hawks some respect. believe it or not, Mike Woodson is not that bad. he actually has the favor and some respect of some of his players, and this team wants to be a defensive force, and believe it or not, mike was an intricate part of 04 Detroit Pistons championship defensive identity, hey if Doc Rivers can do it why not mike?

predicted team record : 47-35

Joe Johnson3x all-star

previous season stats: 21.7 ppg 4.5 rpg 5.8 apg 43.2% FGs 38.1% 3pt FGs 83.4% FTs

joe johnson is the leader of this team, mr. consistent has proven to be a top 10 SG in this league and one of the best all-around players in the nba. he improved hisp lay this season by increasing his FG and 3pt % by taking less shots and better shots, also formed a dynamic duo with Josh Smith, making plays for each other in the games, making opponents pay for double teaming him.
predicted next season stats: 20.2 pts 5.0 rbs 5.5 asts 48.2% FGs 40.1% 3pt FGs 85% FTs

Josh Smithall-star. dpoy.

previous season stats:17.2 ppg 8.2 rpg 3.4 apg 2.8 bpg 1.5 spg 45.9% FGs 25.3% 3pt FGs 71.1% FTs
Joshes improved shot selection and free throw shooting is what game him his first all-star selection and his continued improvement, focus on defense is what got him his first defensive player of the year award. after continuing to make his place in nba history as the first forward to average 3 bpg of all-time, and having an unstoppable in-the-paint game, josh also improved his game by being able to hit that 12-15 foot jumpshot, and he improved his 3pt shooting percentage, rightfully leading this young hawks team defensively and offensively.

predicted next season stats: 22.2 pts 8.3 rbs 3.0 asts 3.1 blks 2.1 stls 48.4% FGs 34.7% 3pt FGs 80.4% FTs

Al Horford

previous season stats: 10.1 ppg 9.7 rpg 1.5 apg 49.9% FGs 73.4% FTs

al horford and josh smith make the defensive identity of this hawks team, horford was one of the best rookies in the league last season and he proves his elite status in the east with improved play on both ends of the court, still playing the center position he has improved his jumpshot and led the hawks in scoring in 10 games this season, he is the leading rebounder on the team and 6th in rebounding in the league

predicted next season stats: 16.5 pts 11.3 rbs 2.0 asts 2.0 blks 50.4% FGs 82.1% FTs

Mike Bibbyprevious season stats: 13.9 ppg 3.5 rpg 6.0 apg 41.1% FGs 37.5% 3pt FGs 78.1% FTs

mike bibby is a solid point guard with good descision making skills, he has evolved as a passer because he elects to be more of a distributing PG first, scoring second. bibby is in the final year of his contract and he knows he wont be kept by the hawks so he is doing the best he can to help them win this season and in the post-season
predicted next season stats: 14.1 pts 4.1 rbs 6.2 asts 44.4% FGs 33.7% 3pt FGs 78.4% FTs

Marvin Williamsprevious season stats: 14.8 ppg 5.7 rpg 1.7 apg 46.2% FGs 10.1% 3pt FGs 82.2% FTs

marvin williams is a very bad player, he is very ackward inconsistent with no real specialty to his game, unless you consider a 12 foot jumpshot a specialty. he takes a step back this season with the improved play of josh smith and lack of josh childress, marvins minutes decline and so does his overall contribution to the team, he is not expected to be retained in the 09 off-season
predicted next season stats: 12.2 pts 4.3 rbs 2.1 asts 43.2% FGs 31.2% 3pt FGs

bench

Maurice Evans

previous season stats: 9.0 ppg 3.0 rpg 1.0 apg 48.1% FGs 38.8% 3pt FGs 71.2% FTs
mo evans turned out to be a great signing, bringing experienced veteran leadership, poise, and good shooting to the team, he is the teams 2nd most accurate 3 pt shooter, something childress could not provide, and he scores just as many points
predicted next season stats: 10.1 pts 3.1 rbs 2.3 asts 45.2% FGs 37.4 3pt FGs 78.3% FTs

Flip Murray

previous season stats: 9.4 ppg 2.0 rpg 3.5 apg 42.1% FGs 31.1% 3pt FGs 69.4% FTs
Flip Murray is pretty good for our team, he doesn't play as often because of his combo guard style of play, he is a pretty good scorer though, his veteran leadership is appreciated
predicted next season stats: 6.0 pts 2.1 rbs 1.3 asts

Acie Law IV

previous season stats: 4.2 ppg 2.1 apg

Acie Law wanted to really redeem himself this season, he did okay as the primary backup to mike bibby, but due to he splitting time with speedy claxton he did not get consistent minutes, acie law continues to be frustrated, he will be even more frustrated when bibby leaves and we sign someone else to be the starting pg
predicted next season stats: 6.1 pts 2.3 rbs 3.1 asts

Zaza Pachulia

previous season stats:
5.2 ppg 4.2 rpg

ZaZa is an intrigal part of this Hawks bench, he is our token foreign big man from the great republic of georgia, after being devestated by the war in his country, and due to the swagger shown in the playoffs, he is a fan favorite, and always brings aggresive play and good plays
predicted next season stats: 6.4 pts 6.5 rbs 2.3 asts 47.2% FGs 81% FTs

Randolph Morrisprevious season stats: irrelevent

this is a learning experience for morris, he is competing from the bench to be the starting center for the team when marvin leaves, he must lose alot of weight and become a more skilled passer, shot-blocker first, he will need to be a diop type enforcer center, not expected to be a scorer
predicted next season stats: 4.5 pts 3.4 rbs 1.1 blks

Jeremy Richardson
previous season stats:
Jeremy is a good role bench player, he is a SG/SF scorer, he is a good shooter, free throws, 3 pts, driving to the basket, and even a good defensive player
predicted next season stats:

Speedy Claxton
summer league stats:
predicted next season stats:


in conclusion, i am highlighting this hawks team because i see a eastern conference contender in the making, we got our big three, good PG (for now) and good center in the making, what will become one of the best benches in the league, i can see this occuring

Zaza Pachulia on CNN - Peace in the Republic of Georgia please

It is really a terrible tragedy in this current event, world news.

Let us step away from basketball with Zaza for a second and confront a terrible reality occuring in our ally's neighborhoods.

----------------------------------------------------------

The last few days have been tough on the Hawks' big man, as he has seen his otherwise peaceful homeland ravaged by fighting that has left over 2,000 dead and many more homeless..

Pachulia, who is about as big a sports celebrity as there is in Georgia (the Republic of, not the state), has been incredibly active since fighting broke out nearly a week ago, trying to help bring about a peaceful resolution. He attended peace rallies on Sunday and Tuesday night, and has appeared on CNN twice, once on CNN International and again yesterday on the regular network.

While most of the world's attention is on the Olympics in Beijing, Pachulia calls this time "the most stressful of his life" as he tries to stay in contact with his friends and family who are half the world away.

"Because of my age," says Pachulia, "A lot of my friends are still serving in the military. I have been able to get in contact with some of them, but others I have no idea. It's scary - I just want the fighting to end. Innocent people are being killed or losing their homes, and that just can't continue."

Zaza is supposed to travel back to Georgia next week to begin playing with his national team as they try to qualify for the 2009 European championships, but now that is up in the air.

"There are more important things than basketball going on right now," said Pachulia. "I want to go home and represent my country, but we can't be playing games when we have to worry about the stadium we are playing in being bombed."
Pachulia plans to continue to do all he can to help resolve the situation, but was quick to say that politics is not his game.
"I am not trying to talk about who is wrong and who is right," he said. "The most important thing to me is that there be peace, and that the people of Georgia not have to live in fear for their lives or their homes."

----------------

Hawks fans finally breathe, Josh Smith has been re-signed, Can the Hawks be better than last season?

Finally, the conflict has been resolved. the rooster has crowed, the fat lady has sung, and our hero is Rick Sund. I believe he deserves all of the credit for organizing this deal, for making the arrangements for the Grizzlies to sign him an offer sheet of 5 years $58 million, and the Hawks to match that immediately. This was truely a bargain, while all of Josh Smith's draft classmates all got 6 year deals, at 60-72 million, he is getting more than the $9 million has was initially offered, and less than the $11-$12 million he was demanding.

Now that our core is set, our big three is in tact - Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Joe Johnson, we the Hawks and the fans can start concentrating on filling some holes, signing remaining free agents. Here are a few potential free agents we could/should sign:

Shaun Livingston

Fred Jones

Juan Dixon

Dikembe Mutumbo (lol)

Josh Smith is the heart and soul of this young hawks team, it was never a question of SHOULD the Hawks keep him, it was a question of how much we can afford and how much he deserves. He is what they call, "a freakish athlete who can score" but so much more than that.

There's a good, short interview with Mr. Marvin Williams from Sekou Smith of AJC.com, apparently Marvin has put on some weight, and is getting stronger and faster. We hope so, so he can increase his trade value, maybe we can get Allen Iverson for Williams and Bibby, just an idea.

Well, the game schedule for next season is out, and with the increased talent in the eastern conference, i think the Hawks are starting to develop some rivalries that will be intriguing match-ups in the future. Here are some of the teams that i believe the Hawks have beef with that will make for some great games in the future:

Boston Celtics

Milwalkee Bucks

Miami Heat

Orlando Magic

Chicago Bulls

Charlotte Bobcats

Olympikos (lol j/k)


I see a 45+ win season in the works here, a first time all-star in Josh Smith, and another playoff match-up with the Boston Celtics, and one of the greatest, biggest upsets in the NBA again, but it won't be such an upset when it happens, it will just be a natural passing of power from one champion to the next in the near future. Josh Smith NBA Finals MVP.

the REAL Winners and Losers of the NBA Off-Season 08....and yes, the Hawks (management) are losers

Happy Monday, people.

It's a great, brave new month of August in the city of Atlanta. Kids going back to school, Falcons in training camp (we still miss Vick though, Matt Ryan can never be Micheal Vick), but unfortunately, today we mourn the death of a certain Mr. Skip Caray of the Atlanta Braves. The AJC reports he was the announcer for the Braves for more than 33 years, he died in his sleep in his Atlanta home, he was 68 years old. BUT, life goes on, we still have more pressing issues in Atlanta Sports, for the Josh Smith debacle has no known end in sight. AJC's Sekou Smith reports that it looks like a Mexican Standoff, the Hawks wanting to give Smith approximately 9 million/year, and Smith is demanding at least 10 million/year, for the Sixers were willing to give him 12 and the Clippers were willing to give him 13. It seems clear to me that Josh Smith is worth at least the 10 he feels he deserves, especially when many of his 2004 draft classmates are getting 11-13/year like Monta Ellis and Emeka Okafor, Josh Smith has already proven his skill, work ethic and ability to improve, he is the francise player, identity of the Hawks and the 2nd best player out of the Dwight Howard draft of 2004. But, it seems like new GM Rick Sund doesn't see that too clearly, maybe his eyesight is dimming on him, because anyone can see that he, not Marvin Williams, is the future of the successful Atlanta Hawks, and even if they have to go a little into Luxury Tax to pay Smith this off-season, it will pay off this 08-09 season when he averages 20+ ppg, makes his first all-star game, and he with Joe and Al leads us back into the playoffs, because even without Josh Childress, we can improve to a better record next season and who knows, maybe Maurice Evans and Randolph Morris will be a pleasant suprise for us. BUT, all of this depends of bringing Josh Smith back and making the kid happy in his hometown.

Anyway, this article is in response to an article also posted today by Mr. Chad Ford of ESPN.com, he writes a report of the Winners and Losers of the Off-Season so far. Right. I can already tell by his NBA bias that the Sixers will be #1 winners and the Hawks will be #1 losers, which might actually be the case but to me, he really reveals his bias in the other teams he analyzes. Here is his analysis and my responses to it.

Chad: "Their first move was a good one, letting GM Billy Knight walk. The Hawks were in the playoffs despite Knight's consistent botching of the draft, not because of him. Unfortunately, after Knight resigned, everything got seriously mangled in Atlanta. A number of the top GM candidates they pursued said "no, thanks" and the Hawks ended up settling on Rick Sund, a nice guy who's failed badly as a GM in his last two stops in Seattle and Detroit."

PlayoffsHawks: That is an interesting perspective to see Sund, everyone knows Sund for his media persistence that they want to keep Rashard Lewis in the summer of '07, and we all know what happened with that, not to blame Lewis, i mean who wouldn't go to the sunny beaches of Orlando for $118 million/7 years, but Sund never drafted well either, Robert Swift.

Chad: "Sund's first move was to bring back head coach Mike Woodson -- a guy who several players don't really like and whose coaching style doesn't fit the talent on the team."

PlayoffsHawks: i did not have a problem with this decision, it was better to keep a guy that is already established, unfortunately not respected, with the team, rather than go out and find a new guy to have to start over with, giving Woodson one more chance was the best way to keep the spirit of the playoffs hawks in tact, hopefully they had a talk about his substitution patterns...

Chad: "Then the Hawks completely mishandled Josh Childress. First, they offered him a contract for less than the midlevel exception. Then they told him to go find a better deal, thinking no team would make a strong offer. Childress found a better deal in Greece and warned the Hawks he'd take the money. The Hawks called his bluff and Childress took the money and ran. Normally, I wouldn't make such a fuss over a sixth man, but Childress was the glue that held the team together -- he was very underrated."

PlayoffsHawks: Couldn't have said it better myself. Childress was a major part of the identity of the young Atlanta Hawks, his husltle, playmaking ability, and afro will be dearly missed. This is the first major mistake Rick Sund has made, trying to undercut a player like Childress, this is what we are defining Sund as until further notice, he really messed that situation up, now this may be a blessing is disguise, for Childress might blow up in Greece then come back to the Hawks in the summer of '10, and this might also allow Smith to be a bigger part of the offense to showcase his ability, but until and unless Sund makes the smart move of signing Smith to a huge contract, Sund is not a good GM.

CHAD: "Now the Hawks are between a rock and hard place with Josh Smith. Their offer is lower than what Emeka Okafor and Luol Deng got. Smith is upset and doesn't really want to play in Atlanta. If they up the offer, they risk overpaying a player who is unhappy in Atlanta. If the Hawks don't increase the offer, they risk Smith taking the one-year qualifying offer in Atlanta and bolting next summer as an unrestricted free agent."

PlayoffsHawks: Now, this is how it is, if Josh Smith is forced to sign a one-year qualifying offer, which is symbolism of his direct intent to leave no-matter-what in the summer of '09, this is going to enrage the ATLANTA Hawks fans. i guarentee there will be in-game protests, fan demands that the ASG just sell the team to people who care about winning, and massive action by Atlanta sports fans to show the ownership just how foolish they are. We have endured almost a decade of losing and irrevelancy for this new GM to come in here and screw up the team like apprently he has done in Seattle and Detriot. Old policies and rules don't apply in this situation, that GM must understand that this is a new era, and a new situation, and they are in the business of WINNING not making money, and if it costs a lil' money for a year or two to build that winning team, then so be it! But, no, these men and their penny-pinching ways is going to get them in trouble with the real people who control sports, the fans, and we are not going to stand idly and do nothing while our potential is snatched away by another team where he will be sure to shine and everyone will talk about, "well, he was pretty good in Atlanta, but they had a bad coach, and now he's GREAT!" when he can be great HERE. That's how it is supposed to be, and that's what we're demanding, the ASG to start caring about winning and do what it takes to get Josh Smith back in a Hawks uniform long term.

THAT'S ALL THIS SUMMER IS ABOUT, PEOPLE, THAT'S ALL THIS SUMMER IS ABOUT...