Atlanta Hawks

The Joe Johnson Show needs to end in Atlanta. The Hawks popular saying this year has been “Now You Know“, but this message is more for Hawks fans than anything. Joe has been given every opportunity to succeed in Atlanta and he continues to get worse. No improvements in his game over the past couple of years and his streaky play on the court, doesn’t deserve the amount of minutes he’s getting. He was 3rd in the NBA this year in minutes played per game and he’s probably the 7th or 8th best player on the Hawks team. You’re not going to do your best when you have a lesser talent on the team eating up all of the minutes. Joe can’t play consistent ball and it seems everyone in Hawk Nation knows this; except for the coach Mike Woodson.

Now You Know…

Woodson continues to keep Joe Johnson on the court and he’s the main problem right now. The Miami Heat have beat the Hawks easily the last two games in the playoffs and this series isn’t looking good for the Hawks. Joe needs to be benched and he needs it now. No sense keeping him out there when he’s not producing positive results. Coach Woodson has no feel for the game and seems more concerned with total points by quarter than anything. He does not understand that Joe Johnson is a wasted player on the court right now and he’s not producing at either end of the floor.

Now You Know…

Joe missed point blank shots Saturday Night in Miami as the Heat routed the Hawks big in South Florida. The Heat now has a 2 to 1 lead in the playoff series and it’s not going to get any better unless Mike Woodson adjusts the personnel on the floor. Josh Smith is the guy you must get going and the team feeds off of him. He can be a great weapon on road games and you don’t need your 15,000 fans; when number 5 can bring his own source of energy. He has the type of talent that can make opposing fans cheer and Mike Woodson isn’t given him the chance. Josh Smith is the leader of the Hawks and this is his team. Joe has had the team for 3 years and he still can’t lead us no where. He doesn’t rotate well on defense, takes plays off, and is often not hustling like he should be out there.

Now You Know…

The Joe Show is over in Atlanta and it has been for some time now. He’s the highest paid player on the team, so benching him does make the front office look bad. It makes them look even worse when Joe Johnson is simply on the floor because he is the highest paid Atlanta Hawk. Joe Johnson is the reason for our sluggish half court game and he holds on to the ball too long. Often he is just dribbling around going no where and for some reason; he likes to keep the ball a few extra seconds after a double team is on top of him. Joe Johnson is the main reason the Atlanta Hawks lost the last 2 games in this playoff series with the Miami Heat. You can’t expect the results to change if you keep sending the same guys out there and leaving them on the floor for the same minutes. Let’s get players in the game that produce and let’s not take the amount of their paychecks in the basketball decisions our team needs to be making.

The Atlanta Hawks play again on Monday Night against the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the Playoff Series. The Tip-Off Time is 8PM EST and Game 4 will be played in Miami, Florida. Miami leads the Series 2 to 1 in a best of 7 Series.

How many games did you think the Chicago Bulls or Philadelphia 76ers would win in their first playoff match ups? Many NBA fans seen Boston and Orlando having an easy time in the first round; yet each team has lost a game to this point in the series. The 76ers are a very talented bunch of kids and they are a lot like the Portland Trail Blazers. The Trail Blazers and 76ers may just advance to the 2nd round and some people may have thought these 2 teams were too young. Factor in the youth for the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks and you have 2 more teams with a lot of youth in the 2009 NBA playoffs.

I’m not sure if it is a surprise with all of these young teams playing so well. The NBA has become a much younger league over the years and perhaps we are starting to see that this year. I think the teams sporting experience isn’t a cherish commodity right now in hoops and most NBA franchises want the next Kobe Bryant or Dwayne Wade. You can build teams around players like these and they both have the ability to carry a team on their back. If anyone seen Brandon Roy or Ben Gordon playing lately; you will see that the young guys can carry a team well too. Brandon Roy is playing great basketball right now for the Portland Trail Blazers and every team in the league would love to have this guy. If you watched Derrick Rose in Game 1 for the Chicago Bulls or seen Ben Gordon’s performance in a losing effort in Game 2, you will quickly realize that the Bulls have a legitimate playoff team. The Boston Celtics do not have home court advantage anymore in their series with the Bulls and Chicago may just advance to the 2nd round.

Before we start handing out championships to the young and talented teams around the league; let’s keep in mind that the best team this year (record wise) is the Los Angeles Lakers. They are in firm control with their playoff series against the Utah Jazz. They have veterans Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, and Lamar Odom leading them to the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs in strong fashion. A few young guys like Bynum and Ariza are chipping in for the Lakers but look for the veterans to continue to step it up out in LA.

The San Antonio Spurs is another veteran team that you can’t count out right now. They are playing the Dallas Mavericks and the winner of this first round series has a shot at a NBA title this year. Manu Ginoboli is not going to be around for the Spurs this year, but they do find ways to get things done and no big surprise if they beat the Mavs in this series. The Dallas Mavericks have their own talented core of veterans playing well for them, so this is one of the better first round match ups we have going on right now. I think the winner of this series will be a team that could give the Lakers a run for their money. I’m sure Chauncey Billups isn’t done in Denver yet and he has that unique ability to carry a team on his back. You don’t have to do a lot of carrying when Kenyon Martin and Carmelo Anthony are on your team. The Nuggets are another team that will be tough to beat in a 7 game series and it won’t be a easy task for the team that does it.

The Western Conference is lacking Tracy McGrady and Manu Ginoboli in this year’s playoffs. We also have no Steve Nash, Shaquille Oneal, or Amare Stoudamire because the Phoenix Suns didn’t even make the playoffs this year. In the Eastern Conference you are probably aware that the Boston Celtics are playing without Kevin Garnett. It seems this is a touchy subject for Doc Rivers and he has already stated boldly that he won’t answer no more KG questions; which only leave fans and reporters with more questions. In an unrelated matter, Danny Ainge even suffered a mild heart attack and isn’t feeling too well for the Celtic’s brass.

Are there surprises in this year’s NBA playoffs? Or is this just the excitement we get every year from the professional league of basketball that we like to watch so much? I think David Stern and company have to be pleased with all the action to this point and I know they hope to see a couple of teams keep advancing. It’s no secret that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers would be the perfect championship game for the NBA this year. I’m not sure either one of these teams can make it the full distance with so much competition that remains. I do see the Lakers in the final series of the season, but too many hungry teams in the East, are ready to take LeBron James and his team down. I don’t think the Cavs will represent the East this year and we may see an upset coming soon.

Who are the final two teams you see in the 2009 NBA Championship Series?

It wasn’t pretty for the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the NBA playoffs. The Atlanta Hawks wasted no time sending a message to Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat. It must have been tough for Pat Riley and his wife to sit and watch their team getting blown out by the boys from the ATL Sunday Night.

The Atlanta Hawks were led by their superstar Josh Smith. His incredible energy throughout the game, gave the fans something to cheer about in Atlanta and this team hasn’t looked this good all year long. Josh is a baller and he can play and he showed the rest of the NBA what they will have to deal with when they play the Atlanta Hawks in the playoffs this year.

Many are now taking notes as the Hawks raised a lot of eyebrows on Sunday Night at Philips Arena. The Hawks do have enough quality players around Josh Smith to win it all this year. He may just lead the Hawks to an NBA championship this year. This is Josh Smith’s team and it’s all up to him to see how far this team can go on his shoulders. He has got all the tools for an NBA superstar and Dwayne Wade showed none of these tools or skills Sunday Night in Atlanta.

Now You Know!

The Hawks won 90 to 64 and held the Miami Heat to a franchise playoff low in points. The Highlight Factory is only getting started in Atlanta and more exciting NBA action to come at Philips Arena. Josh Smith led all scorers with 23 points Sunday and Wade had 19 points to lead the Heat. Wade must quit pouting and step up his game or this series is only going to get longer for the Miami Heat. They will have at least 3 more games to try and figure out Josh Smith and the Atlanta Hawks.

Zaza Pachulia led the Hawks bench with 10 points and his name got mispronounced by the national TV crew doing the game for TNT Sports. Its ok they don’t know who we are yet and their all in a big shock as the Atlanta Hawks are taking action in the 2009 NBA playoffs. Is there any NBA team that can stop the Hawks? This will be answered in the coming weeks, but I don’t see any NBA team stopping them this year. The 2009 Hawks are for real and you guys in the national media may want to learn a thing or two about our team. Learning how to say the names would be a good first step and don’t think you understand our coach either. He does things the hard way all the time and Marvin Williams leaving the game early after being the top player for the Hawks is how Mike Woodson coaches. He has set agendas and don’t take game action into consideration when making moves during the game. Now You Know!

Game 2 in Atlanta on Wednesday and the tip will be 8PM EST. Let’s get the Highlight Factory juiced again to watch Josh Smith and the Atlanta Hawks play ball with Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat.

Josh Smith Dunks on Miami in Playoffs

The cast and crew of the A-Town Dancers are ready to strut their stuff as Miami comes to town for the 1st round of the NBA playoffs. I think the whole city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia are ready for some good NBA playoff action. The first two games will be at Philips Arena and it’s going to be loud for every home game the Hawks play in Atlanta. I hope everyone has their Atlanta Hawks playoff tickets and I hope all lucky ticket holders are ready to scream their lungs out! The Hawks will certainly need the fans support as they will have a tough road to the NBA finals this year. The first two games would appear to look good for the Hawks. The Miami Heat is a one man show with Dwayne Wade and the 2nd round opponent is likely to be the Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James. The Cavs are another one man show and the Hawks know how to shut these teams down. I do think a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals look very likely. I just can’t see LeBron James or Dwayne Wade carrying their team over a team with as much talent as the Hawks have.

I know the young ladies of Atlanta are ready to see some action and now they will get to see some post season action for all their hard work. The A-Town Dancers are frequently seen at Philips during intermissions and halftime. Not too many fans or people get to see the Junior A Town Dancers, so here is a look at the junior dance team for the Atlanta Hawks.

A beautiful group of young ladies supporting the Atlanta Hawks and everyone should be proud of our junior dance girls in Atlanta. You can see the entire Junior A Town Dancers at the official website of the Atlanta Hawks. I apologize if I missed any junior dancers out there and feel free to reply with your name if I missed you and I will get your picture up with the rest of your dance team. (I think I lost a few on the transferring process)

I know a lot of fans know about the A Town Dancers in Atlanta and get to see them often, so I thought I would pay a salute to the younger team that supports our Atlanta Hawks. If you would like a spot on the Junior A-Town Dance Team for the Hawks or want to learn more information about possibly joining the team for next year; please email the Atlanta Hawks at:  atlantahawksdanceteam@atlantaspirit.com

These girls are ready for the NBA playoffs. The only question is are you and the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia ready for some NBA playoff action? Go support the Hawks starting this Sunday at 8:00 PM tip off time at Philips Arena on April 19th! For those of you that will be watching the Atlanta Hawks on television, the coverage will start at 7:30 for a pregame show that you don’t want to miss! If you’re attending the game, you may just want to set the DVR or VCR to the pregame show if you plan to record the Atlanta Hawks playing host to the Miami Heat this Sunday.

The Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat are set to play their first game at Philips Arena on Sunday April 19th. The tip-off time will be 8 PM Eastern Time and it should be a fun game to watch. The hot shooting of Flip Murray and Marvin Williams will be key in the Hawk’s playoff success this year. Williams and Murray are the best shooters on the team and their ability to make jumpers will be big at Philips on Sunday and the rest of the playoff games. The 2nd game with the Miami Heat will be on Wednesday and this will be a very important game as one team tries to take command of the series or the other tries to tie it up. The Heat will really need to win at least 1 game in Atlanta if they have any shot of winning this first round series.

The most important player for the Atlanta Hawks may just be Josh Smith. His ability to elevate his game to superstar status is what makes it so exciting in Atlanta. The fans cheering loudly for his monster dunks or one of his high flying swats as he patrols the paint will be the fun part in this series. Players like Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson need to really focus on getting the other team members involve and neither one of these players has a consistent stroke from outside. I think Marvin and Flip are the best options from outside with Al Horford and Josh Smith pounding the ball inside. Maurice Evans will be huge too and his athletical play will be needed for Atlanta against the Heat in this series.

Dwayne Wade is the muscle to Miami’s attack, but look for Mario Chalmers, Michael Beasley, and Jermaine O’Neal to add some great support to their team leader. I think the defense of Chalmers could cause some problems for the Hawks and Beasley must be guarded on the offensive end of the court. The Hawks and Heat do match up well on the boards, but the team that wins the rebound battle might have the upper edge in this series. The Hawks do have the ability to run them off the floor, but not sure the Hawks will play a fast-style game on Sunday. They will need energy and a high tempo to each game they play against the Heat and winning the first two games in Atlanta will be huge.

This first round series in Atlanta should be pretty good and neither team isn’t likely to back down in this one! I look for the 3rd quarter to be huge for both teams and the team that wins the 3rd quarter battle will hang on in the 4th to win these games. The winner of this series will probably be playing the Cleveland Cavaliers in round 2 of the NBA playoffs.

The Atlanta Hawks will play the Miami Heat tomorrow but no one is going to pay close attention to this game or will they? Does this last game of the year serve a purpose when these two teams will face each other in the opening round of the playoffs this weekend? I’m sure many will have opinions about this game, but I don’t expect either team to play their hand tomorrow night in Philips Arena. Dwayne Wade actually looked relaxed the last time these two teams played against each other and perhaps he was already saving his best stuff for the playoffs. It is unusual to have a playoff series go 8 games, but we might just have it here, if you count the regular season match up as game 1.

Dwayne Wade brings a lot of problems for any NBA team. He proved that to the Knicks most recently when he scored an amazing 55 points. If you shut down Dwayne Wade is there anyone else on the Miami Heat that can beat you? The answer isn’t clear, but most would believe that Wade is the head of the monster and removing the head takes away the monster all together. Stopping D Wade is not an easy chore and no one on the Atlanta Hawks can do it by their self. I should say no one that will be on the floor for the Atlanta Hawks in the playoffs can do it. I know the fans would love to see Mario West get a chance to “D” up Mr. Wade, but Woodson is likely to play the starters 40 minutes in the playoffs and give the bench guys very little playing time.

Tuesday’s game might be one played by the benches and it should be interesting to see which team has the better bench. I think Flip Murray and Maurice Evans will be a tough combo to handle for the Heat and they may just lead the Hawks to a win on Tuesday night in Atlanta.

The real games start up this weekend and it’s going to get wild in Atlanta this year. I hope everyone has their playoff tickets ready and see if the Hawks can figure out how to win a game on the road in the playoffs. They are struggling coming down to the wire and this has many Hawks fans concerned. It will be a long trip to Miami if Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat win either one of the first two games in Atlanta.

The Atlanta Hawks fans did pick to play the Heat in a voting poll recently done on the Atlanta Hawks website. Fans you got the team you wanted and chose them over the Philadelphia 76ers; now can the team beat them?

Hawks and Heat this weekend in Atlanta!

You know him well and for many years we got to see Michael Jordan sticking the tongue out for a high flying drive to the basket; where he was probably leading the Chicago Bulls to a win or another championship title. We haven’t seen Michael lace them up lately and he was on the court with the Washington Wizards the last time he played in the NBA. He is now a part of the ownership group in Charlotte; where he works closely with the Bobcats team, trying to make them the next NBA dynasty. The Bulls were a dynasty in the 1990’s and Michael Jordan was a big reason why. Many have called him the greatest basketball player to ever live and now the NBA Hall of Fame recognizes this great basketball player.

Michael was elected in the Hall of Fame today and you won’t find one NBA player, coach, or fan that will say he doesn’t deserve it. Everybody in the world knew he belonged in the Hall of Fame and that has now become official. So what does Michael think about his induction into the prestigious NBA Hall of Fame? ”I don’t like being up here for the Hall of Fame because at that time your basketball career is completely over,” Jordan said. “I was hoping this day would be 20 more years, or actually go in when I’m dead and gone.” Jordan is a very humble athlete and I am glad I got the chance to see him play. He is the greatest one ever and I think the 6 NBA Championships proves that. We may be witnessing another great one in Kobe Bryant and he’s on that Michael Jordan path to success, but for now, all of the comparisons of young talented NBA players will only be compared to Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan wasn’t the only one to get elected in the NBA Hall of Fame today and some other notable stars and coaches got in too. The Utah Jazz organization and their fans got to see the talented point guard John Stockton and their current coach Jerry Sloan get voted in today. The Admiral David Robinson from the San Antonio Spurs made it in today; along with coach of women’s basketball at Rutgers C. Vivian Stringer. Stockton is the all-time assists leader in the NBA, so most thought he would make it in today. I know David Robinson wasn’t sure if he would make it in, according to a story that Dominque Wilkins told from the Atlanta Hawks. He said that Robinson wasn’t too sure if he would make it in and Nique told him he was a sure lock to make it this year. David Robinson was a great role model for the NBA and his service to the United States Navy.

It has to be a good feeling for NBA players like John Stockton and David Robinson to go in the Hall the same year as Michael Jordan. I have seen all 3 of these guys play and they were great for the NBA and they will be even better for the NBA Hall of Fame. I’m sure people associated with the Jazz team are excited to see two of their own go in with John Stockton and Jerry Sloan. Congratulations to the Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, and San Antonio Spurs for creating athletes and coaches that are Hall of Fame worthy. Also, a nice honor for the basketball program at Rutgers and I’m sure lots of young ladies will want to go there now and be a part of a Hall of Fame coaching system for women’s basketball.