Atlanta Hawks

The Highlight Factory in Atlanta will reopen on Wednesday, October 28th at Phillips Arena in Downtown Atlanta. The Hawks will host the Indiana Pacers as fans get their first chance to see their favorite NBA team this year. A few new faces have been added to the team, so this means a few old ones won’t be around anymore. Most were shocked to see Mario West get cut from the team and many fans are left scratching their heads with that decision that came down late in the preseason action; where the Atlanta Hawks went 5 and 2 in their preseason games. Mario or Rio as the players and coaches would call him was a true spirit for these Atlanta Hawks. There isn’t a guy currently on the team that goes all out or as hard as Rio did for the Hawks. I even picked him as one of the top 5 Hawks players from last year’s team; so it is odd that they couldn’t find room on a 12 man roster for him. Any other NBA teams checking in on the Hawks Official Blog may want to give Mario West a look. I will guarantee you that you don’t have 12 guys better than him. No NBA team has 12 players better than Mario West and our hearts do go out for one of the truly great athletes of Atlanta and the state of Georgia. Keep your head high Rio and you will once again do your non-stop work on an NBA floor again!

So who will be the new faces helping Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, and Al Horford bring another winning season to the ATL? You saw him on draft night and now he makes his Philips Arena debut on Wednesday night and his name is Jeff Teague. The young point guard will see action in the Highlight Factory on Wednesday night against Indiana. Joining the Wake Forrest Sensation will be Joe Smith and Jason Collins as two more two faces to the Hawks team this year. One new face that will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders to produce right away is the veteran guard Jamal Crawford. It’s not a matter of if Jamal Crawford will have another 50 point game, in a Hawks uniform; the question is when will he have his first 50 point game? Jamal Crawford has question marks in several areas, but scoring isn’t one of them. He’s a true baller and straight off the courts of street ball and he knows how to fill it up. I think he has a 40 point game before anyone is eating turkey and dressing in Atlanta this year and look for at least 1 fifty point game before the season is over.

If the Hawks starting backcourt of Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson has good games; then this team can win on a nightly basis. It’s when they struggle is where the problems begin. Coach Mike Woodson never pulls the triggers on these guys and won’t remove them from a basketball game. So if they are off, so is the team. You can’t have 40 percent of your team out there taking up big minutes when they’re not producing and we have seen this for several years now in Atlanta. Joe Johnson gets his 40 minutes a game and the past has shown us that he only has a big game, 1 out of every 6 NBA games. Big concerns for Atlanta’s backcourt this year and the preseason games only confirmed my doubts of the Bibby and Johnson tandem; doing anything positive this year. I realize I am in the minority when I call Mike Woodson, Mike Bibby, and Joe Johnson the “3 Headed Monster in Atlanta” and I do mean that in a bad way. I will be relieved to see 1/3 of that monster gone next year and perhaps I get lucky and Mike Woodson leaves Atlanta too for 2/3 of my monster to be gone. No time to cast dark shadows now and I will evaluate the 3 Headed Monster at a later time.

Now is the time for everyone to be in good spirits and ready to root on these young men as they try to bring a little recognition to the ATL from the rest of the NBA world. The Atlanta Hawks will need to find a way to win 50 games this year; if they want to show improvements from last year’s team. No more Mario West or Flip Murray on the team will make this an uphill battle for the Atlanta Hawks. The toughest division rivalry will no doubt be Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic.

So who do the Atlanta Hawks play first game? They will play the Indiana Paces and look for former Hawk Solomon Jones to have a big game in this one.

Who does the Atlanta Hawks play in their 2nd game of the 2009 year? They will get to host back to back games to start the season and the Hawks 2nd game will be against the Washington Wizards at Phillips Arena.

When do the Atlanta Hawks play Kobe Bryant and the champion Los Angeles Lakers? After the first two home games at the Highlight Factory in Atlanta, the Hawks will face the L.A. Lakers and Kobe Bryant on Sunday, November 1st at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. This will be the start of a tough road schedule for the Hawks as they will face the Lakers on Sunday; the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday; the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday; will come back to the east coast on Friday to play in North Carolina against the Charlotte Bobcats; and will be back home on Saturday to take on Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets.

What teams do the Atlanta Hawks play on their 2nd road trip of the year? After a home game with the Denver Nuggets; the Hawks will have a nice 4 day rest before they have to play the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics on the road.

The first 3 home games are against the Pacers, Wizards, and Nuggets. I would hope the Hawks could win all 3 of these early home games and defend their home floor. The road will be tough and especially the first 6 road games we have. Winning on the road in the NBA is not easy, but the Hawks must beat the Kings, Bobcats, and Knicks in these first 6 road games. It will be tough winning the other 3 match ups on the road against the Lakers, Trail Blazers, and Celtics. If the Hawks win their games on the road against the weaker teams and defend their first 3 games at home; then Atlanta should be 6-3 (6 wins; 3 losses) to start the year. 5 wins or less in the first 9 games; then you would have to be disappointed. If the Hawks win 7 of their first 9 games; then we have something special brewing in Atlanta this year. I am putting a lot of emphasis on these first 9 games to start out the year.

Go grab your tickets for the Atlanta Hawks this week as they play Indiana on Wednesday and Washington on Friday. Please let me know if you plan to attend one of these games and in what general area will you be sitting? Let’s fill up the Highlight Factory this week and be the 6th man for these new look Hawks as they take on the best basketball teams in the world!

The Atlanta Hawks get a win in their first preseason action of the year. Despite allowing the New Orleans Hornets to go over the century mark on the scoreboard, the Hawks held on to win at home at Philips Arena in Atlanta. Marvin Williams was easily the story of the game and his superb defense was the difference in Atlanta’s victory Wednesday night. Marvin only played in 19 mintues, but managed to get 4 steals in his limited time on the floor. This may be the year for Marvin Williams and we may see his smooth outside stroke become a staple for this young Hawks team.

The Hawks did get outscored in both quarters in the 2nd half, but it was their dominance in the first half that got them the 108 to 102 win. All eyes was on one of the newest Hawk Jeff Teague. He didn’t disappoint in his first appearance as an Atlanta Hawk and he led the team with 19 points and also had the most time on the floor for the Hawks with 33 minutes. The NBA 3 point stroke isn’t quite there yet, but he does look like an NBA player out there. Jamal Crawford failed to score in his Hawks debut as he went 0 for 4 from the field in limited action.

The game started with a slam dunk from Josh Smith. After winning the tip, it didn’t take long for Smith to find his way to the hoop and throw one down for the home crowd at Philips. The Hawks would go on to win the first quarter with 32 points to the Hornets 24 first quarter points. It got worse for New Orleans in the 2nd quarter and the Hawks really shut the door on them before halftime. As the teams went to the locker rooms for the half, the Hawks had full control of the game leading 62 to 36. Things got much tighter in the 2nd half, but this was the Hawks night and they did manage to hold on for the win.

The leading scorer for the Hornets was Bobby Brown with 23 points. Superstar Chris Paul added 20 points and David West chipped in with 16 points for New Orleans in their losing effort. Marvin Williams 4 steals was the highlight of the game and Jeff Teague’s offensive performance was a close 2nd with his 19 points. Al Horford and Josh Smith had solid performances as both players managed to get into double digits. The Hawks backcourt of Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby were no shows in Game 1 for the Hawks and hopefully these issues get fixed quick. Since Joe Johnson is gone after this year and Mike Bibby is getting up there in age, there is really no need to try and get either player involved too much in the gameplan each game. The Hawks must focus on their youth and learn to work with these guys, so this team can make a deep run into the playoffs this year and for many years to come.

Well only 1 game down and 6 more preseason games to go for the Atlanta Hawks. Can’t make too much of a fuss after only 1 preseason game, but hopefully the strategy does change in Game 2 of the preseason schedule. The Wednesday performance against the New Orleans Hornets was too much like last year’s team and coach Mike Woodson must change it. I won’t jump to conclusions now, but Woodson is treading on some shaky ground in Atlanta with a team that is capable of making it to the Eastern Conference Finals.  

The new NBA season is coming closer each day and the Atlanta Hawks will return to the hardwood on October 7th to play the New Orleans Hornets at Philips Arena. This will be 1 of 7 preseason games for the Hawks this year. They will all take place in the month of October and fans will have the opportunity to catch 3 games at home this year. October 12th will be the date for the 2nd home game in Atlanta and the opponent that night will be the Charlotte Bobcats. One week after this Monday game will be the last time to catch the Hawks at home for the preseason and they wrap up their home games with a showdown against the Washington Wizards.

Hawks preseason tickets should be easy to get and you will want them for October 7th, October 12th, or October 19th to watch the team in action, before the real games start up. Any dedicated Hawks fans looking to make a road trip for the preseaon really have two options this year. The first one will be on October 14th; when the Hawks take on the Memphis Grizzlies. You can make the short drive up to Memphis, Tennessee to catch this NBA preseason action. The game against the Grizzlies will be at the Fed Ex Forum located in Memphis. If you live in the southern part of the state; then a trip to Jacksonville might be more your style. The Atlanta Hawks will have a preseason game in Jacksonville at Veterans Memorial Arena. This should be an interesting game as Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat will get their first glimpse of the new Hawks in Jacksonville, Florida on October 22nd. This will be the only preseason game for the Hawks this year that takes place on a neutral court.

The longest trip during the preseason will happen on October 11th; which will be the 2nd game on the preseason schedule for the Atlanta Hawks. They will travel up to Auburn Hills to play Mike Woodson’s former team the Detroit Pistons. The 7th and final preseason game will take place on Friday October 23rd and this will be a National TV Game against the Orlando Magic. The Hawks see these guys again on Thanksgiving Day for a National Spotlight Game; so the fans around the country should get a nice dose of Hawks and Magic basketball in the first month of the new NBA season.

Typically the Hawks play strong in the preseason action and their starters tend to play more minutes than the other team’s starters. No big surprise if the Hawks do go 7-0 or 6-1 this preseason, but don’t think that last game against the Magic will be the typical preseason game. I expect Mike Woodson to do whatever it takes to get a W on the final game of the preseason slate for the Hawks.

Do you plan to make any stops at Philips to watch the Hawks in preseason action?  It is a good opportunity to see some of the younger guys play. We probably won’t see much of Jeff Teague when the games start for real, so this is a good opportunity to watch him play a lot of minutes against another NBA team. It doesn’t appear any big time trades or free agent signings are around the corner and the Hawks roster is set for about 10 guys with about 2 new players that will be trying to earn a spot on the 2009/2010 roster. The Atlanta Hawks will be sending some good talent down to the D-League this year and probably our best talent in reserve that we have had, since the D-League was created for NBA teams. Don’t forget about Chris Paul and the Hornets coming to Atlanta to get things started on October 7th. Make sure to mark that date on your calendars and if you can’t make it down to Philips Arena, be sure to listen to the guys on radio call the game!

Football fans have always enjoyed that late Thursday in November when they get to watch a lot of good college and NFL football games on the tube; while sitting down for their turkey dinners. The mood may be a little different this year in Atlanta and the Hawks will get a chance to shine on national TV, as they host Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. This is one of the bright spots on the new NBA schedule that has just been released by the league. As many as 13 games are showing up for the Hawks on the national TV stage this year, if you count TNT, ESPN, and NBA TV. The game on November 26 with the Orlando Magic will be shown by TNT and this is a great opportunity for the Hawks to shine with a national audience that will be tuning in. You can fully expect that the fans in Atlanta will pack Philips Arena on this night.

You don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving Day to see the Hawks on national television. The NBA channel will feature the Hawks playing the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, November the 7th. The following Friday, which will be “Friday the 13th”, will be a game carried by ESPN and the Atlanta Hawks travel to Boston to take on the Celtics. Three games in total are slated for the month of November that will show these young Hawks playing some really tough teams. It may be a tough chore to win all 3 of these games against the Nuggets, Celtics, and Magic, but the Hawks do have to start some where. If they can sweep these 3 games on national TV, we may actually see some air-time on Sportscenter this year.

It will all get started at home this year and on Wednesday night, the Hawks will open up against Solomon Jones and the Indiana Pacers. Yes, if you haven’t heard the news yet, the Pacers did sign Solomon Jones to a 2 year contract. It’s a very interesting move on the Hawks part; since they are currently looking for big men and Solo was a really good bargain for them. Not sure we have witnessed the entire upside to this kid from Florida and Solomon Jones could develop into a very nice NBA player. He should be pumped in the ATL openning night and don’t be surprised if he brings the block party with him.

The Hawks are not treating Mr. Murray too nicely this off-season either and not sure why they wouldn’t want this guy back. The Jamal Crawford trade should have not effected his status and the Hawks are simply replacing bodies here; if they don’t bring Flip Murray back into the fold.

Lots of questions continue to swirl about Josh Smith and his jumper. Why does this guy even need a jumper? Oh right, Coach Mike Woodson wants him patrolling areas that are 18 feet or further from the basket. Josh Smith can jump to the moon and why you have this guy so far from the basket is a huge coaching flaw. He needs to be around the basket for a steady stream of lobs and offensive put-backs he could be giving the team. Josh Smith may just be the most misunderstood superstar in the League today and the blame does fall on Woodson’s lap.

Hawks fans might want to hold off on the excitement for Jeff Teague and despite the reports coming from the Atlanta Hawks official website, he was not the most impressive player in mini camp this year. There was several others that showed more promise than Teague, but he is just going into his junior year of college, when he steps out on the court for the first time in a Hawks uniform. He really could have benefited from some summer league action this year and not likely he will get big minutes for the Hawks anytime soon. 

The good news is that the NBA season is just around the corner and October 28th (openning night) will be here before you know it. You can see the entire Hawks NBA Schedule here and see which games jump out at you this year.  

The Atlanta Hawks will be getting their first looks at Jeff Teague this week as they start their mini-camp at Philips Arena. This will be the first chance the coaches get a chance to work with the talented PG out of Wake Forrest. Teague was selected with the Hawk’s first round pick back in June and was the 19th overall player taken in the 2009 NBA Draft. Sergiy Gladyr from the Ukraine was the other draft selection from this summer’s draft and he will also be attending the Hawks mini-camp in Atlanta. Gladyr isn’t expected to stay in the States long or make the roster this year; but he will have a chance to show what he’s got and will be the youngest player attending this year’s camp.

One of the most interesting players attending this year’s camp will be Yaroslav Korolev from Russia. He was picked number 12 overall in the 2005 NBA Draft (higher than Teague) by the Los Angeles Clippers. He never could find his place in L.A.. He did get a 2nd chance to play for them in 2007 and played with the team during preseason; before he was let go at the start of the regular season. It should be interesting to see where his skill level is at now and if he can help the Atlanta Hawks in the 2009/2010 season. You may also remember another player that was taken in the 2005 draft and this was the Atlanta Hawks 2nd round pick that year. It was a basketball player from Turkey named Cenk Akyol and he will be attending the Hawks Mini-Camp that will begin on Tuesday (July 21). He was very young when the Hawks took him back in 2005 and I’m sure many fans will be curious to see (or hear) how well he does this upcoming week.

I’m sure the Hawks fans want to know about the big guys attending camp this year; since this looks like a big off-season need, that the team hasn’t addressed yet. A guy that did play a short spell with the Golden State Warriors is Chris Taft and he will be in attendance this year. His career high in block shots (3) came against the Hawks a few years back and perhaps it was this that caught the team’s attention. Taft isn’t a great free throw shooter and does need to improve in this area. A bad back has kept him out of the NBA the last couple of seasons and now could be his chance to return to the league. Other big men that will be showing up this week in Atlanta are Garret Siler (6′11″ 305 lbs) from Augusta State and Shawn Taggart (6′ 10″ 238 lbs) from Memphis. One of these 3 guys do have an excellent shot at making the team and especially if the Hawks don’t pursue a big man in free agency.

A couple of more notable players that will be showing up this week for the Hawks is long range shooter Dionte Christmas from Temple. He led their team last year in scoring at almost 20 points a game and was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Atlantic 10 Tournament last season. A little surprising that he went undrafted and no one wanted to take a chance on this guy in the 2009 NBA Draft. He will get a chance to show what he’s got this week; along with former Georgia Bulldog standout Sundiata Gaines. The Hawks fans have proven to like the local kids like Mario West from Georgia Tech and I’m sure the fans will be rooting for Gaines to do well this week at Philips Arena.

The rest of the guys attending the 3 day mini-camp:

Anthony Goods 6-3 Guard from Stanford

Ivan Harris 6-7 Forward from Ohio State

David Huertas 6-5 Guard from Mississippi

John Lucas III 5-11 Guard from Oklahoma State

Leo Lyons 6-9 Forward from Missouri

Frank Robinson 6-4 Guard from Cal-State Fullerton

Corey Williams 6-3 Guard from Alabama State

This is currently the guys we know that will be attending the mini-camp for physicals on Monday. The guys will get together for a 2 hour session on Monday; but the 2 practices a day session will start on Tuesday and only 1 practice scheduled for Thursday. It is possible we may see a new face or two show up when the camp actually starts and you may hear about more names later on. All 16 players will be trying to land a spot on the team’s roster for this year’s preseason games; that will begin in a couple of months. Do you see any of these guys appearing on the preseason roster for the Hawks? What about the regular season roster? I believe there is a lot of doubt for 15 of these guys; but we can already pencil in Jeff Teague for a spot on the team in 2009/2010 season. We may start to hear the Hawks name in a lot more NBA rumors concerning free agency, after the team gets a chance to evaluate these guys this week.

The Atlanta Hawks have announced their 2009 Summer League team for this year in Las Vegas. Don’t worry about grabbing a pencil and jotting the list down, because it is a very short one. Josh Smith is the only name on it and will be the only Hawks player to represent the team this summer in Las Vegas. This is because the Hawks will not have a summer team this year. Not sure why the team isn’t putting one together and I think they may be making a huge mistake. It is true that Josh Smith will be in Las Vegas this summer, but only in a mini camp for USA basketball. He was one of the 25 chosen players to be invited to Las Vegas for this 3 day mini camp that will take place between July 22nd and the 25th.

I always wondered why some NBA teams just don’t send the big boys out in summer ball action. It would be a great chance to get your regular players a little playing time and work on polishing a team for the new season. It would take away from seeing the new guys you just drafted or acquired via trades, so I figured that was the main reason. Now that I learn the Atlanta Hawks will not even be dressing a team to play in Las Vegas or Orlando (2 cities for NBA summer leagues), it makes me wonder even more about the direction of the Atlanta Hawks. They are two other NBA teams that will not be putting teams together for this summer, so the Hawks are not alone in their decision. The fans in Atlanta would love to see some of the new guys play and a chance to see an early glimpse of Wake Forrest star Jeff Teague. You do pick up on a few things in these summer league games and some players show what they have or don’t have during this short period of time. Marvin Williams was a good example of this and the summer league proved he wasn’t quite ready to be a starter in the NBA. The Rocky Mountain Review was the summer league the Hawks were playing in and that has now been cancelled. I know the people in Utah really enjoyed seeing this event each year and they got a chance to see other NBA teams; plus the Utah Jazz always took part in the action.

The Las Vegas summer league is just starting up and will last 9 days for the 21 NBA teams that did decide to play this year. If you’re a sports fan in Atlanta and was looking forward to seeing the Atlanta Hawks play this year; then I’m sure you’re disappointed. Perhaps the brass for the Hawks can make us all happy with the announcement of a big trade or free agent signing. I know Ramon Sessions would be a great place to start and this would make up for not having a summer league team this year in Las Vegas or Orlando. Sessions is another point guard and this might seem very unlikely since Mike Bibby has been resigned and the additions of Jamal Crawford and Jeff Teague. I think Bibby and Crawford are better 2 guards and Ramon Sessions is a much better 1 guard or point guard. You always find room for a guy like Sessions and he has a great game and would be good for any NBA team.

Maybe the Atlanta Braves helped out with their recent trade of Jeff Francoeur. I’m sure a lot of Braves and Hawks fans will have the TV on tonight to see the possible debut of Ryan Church. The Braves acquired him from the New York Mets for the hometown favorite Jeff Francoeur. Just for the record, the Braves got a great player in this deal and really gave up nothing to get him. It was the New York Mets that called the Braves to set up this trade and the fans in Atlanta will love Ryan Church. No summer team this year for the Hawks and no more Frenchy for the Bravos, so I guess we hold our breath for free agency and watch Mr. Church driving in runs for now.

It’s not been pleasant for the Atlanta Hawks or their fans through the first 3 games of the playoff series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They have certainly got their work cut out for them if they do plan to come back from a 3-0 deficit. I think everyone is aware of how hard that might be to do; but is there a chance? Can the Atlanta Hawks get a win in Game 4 and get enough momentum from that to win 3 straight games? They would have to win 2 Games at Cleveland and they have been a tough team to beat at home. The Hawks have threw away all their mulligans if this were golf, but they are on a Par 4 course and they just need 4 good licks.

It might seem like an impossible challenge now but with every win it would bring hope. The Hawks must defend their home floor and win Game 4 in Philips Arena Monday night. The Hawks and Cavs will tip things off at 7PM Eastern Time in Atlanta and this is their chance to show some life in this 2nd round playoff series. A win at the Highlight Factory tonight would have the toughest challenge facing them next game in Cleveland. If the series does go to a Game 5; then the Hawks would need to play at the highest level possible to win. If the team figures out how to win in Cleveland, you would get to bring them back to your home floor and anything could happen in a Game 7 back in Cleveland.

You never know what might happen and it’s to the Hawk’s best interest to play this series out to the end. If LeBron James turns an ankle or another key guy in their line up; then things could dramatically change in this NBA playoff series. In order for the Atlanta Hawks to start winning they must do things differently. There hasn’t been a lot of changes to their approach for these first 3 games. Maybe on Monday they will at least try something new. You don’t have anything to lose at this point and it would be nice to try a different game plan with these guys. Full court pressure and running the ball up and down the court would be a nice change of pace. The Hawks can out run Cleveland if they will constantly push the ball for 48 minutes; this means you must make frequent substitutions to keep guys fresh on the floor. A more physical game is needed in this series. There should be more technical fouls and pushing and shoving in this series and it hasn’t happen yet. The layups and dunks the Hawks are given up must stop or be met with hard fouls. Foul trouble early in the game doesn’t matter because they are beating the Hawks in 3 quarters right now. Don’t take guys off the floor due to foul trouble. Encourage the guys to foul and play much more physical with Cleveland to get them out of their game.

Coach Mike Woodson does need to stop analyzing stats and coach the game. He told the team after the 1st quarter in Game 3 that the defense was good and things would be great with a little offense. The reason Mike Woodson said this is because the Hawks were losing to the Cavs by a score of 22 to 19. Yes, 22 points isn’t bad to give up in a quarter. However, those 22 points came from dunks and lay ups and that had to be addressed. You can’t give up dunks and lay ups in the NBA playoffs and this is the most important thing the team needs to take care of right now. Mike Woodson often looks at free throws attempted and made in games too and he hates to lose that stat. The Coach for the Atlanta Hawks is looking at every stat except the only one that counts. The score is the only stat that matters and Woodson must learn this and quit analzying things from a stat perspective. He’s good about telling you why the team did well or struggled for a half or a quarter of basketball. He will tell you every little thing that went wrong or right for the Atlanta Hawks. The only thing that puzzles me is why did he leave the same guys on the floor that was causing these problems?

I could tell right away in Game 2 with Cleveland that the body language from the team just wasn’t there. Later on, Mike Woodson mentioned this; yet he left the same guys out there that had the bad body language. If you see something that is wrong out there Coach; you must make line up changes to correct it. Hoping the guys on the floor figure it out soon is not working right now and you must be more aggressive with your substitutions during games. We did see great body language in the last minutes of Game 2; when guys like Thomas Gardener, Mario West, and Solomon Jones got in to play. Even Hunter from Ohio State was playing a great game during the trash time that was left from the starters.

Keys to the Game for the Atlanta Hawks: More up-tempo style of offense and more defensive pressure on the ball. Plus a more physical game inside is a MUST for the Hawks to mark a tally in the Win column.

The Atlanta Hawks did something that hasn’t been done in 10 years in Atlanta. They advanced to the 2nd round of the NBA Playoffs. It wasn’t an easy playoff series for the Hawks and they got blew out in 3 of the 7 games they played with the Miami Heat. The good news is that the Hawks blew the Heat out in 4 of the games and this makes them the winner of the 1st round series.

Dwayne Wade did all he could for his Heat team through this playoff series. He was often smiling and laughing while the Heat was on the winning side of things. He even did a head butt to Solomon Jones that resulted in a double technical foul on the two players. He also got a rebound in Game 6 near the end of the game; where he held the ball back and gave a stare down to the opposing Hawk’s defender. His antics on the court seemed to go unnoticed by the guys from TNT Sports and then again on the national broadcast Sunday on ABC. No one seem to mind the behavior or actions he did throughout this series and his behavior did fire the Hawks team up in this best of 7 playoff series.

Josh Smith Dunking Between the Legs Attempt

It seems this little move did catch the eye of ESPN and TNT Sports. They felt it was showing up the other team and was not called for. The guys from ESPN on Sunday actually got to hear a Josh Smith response; when he stated it was for the fans in Atlanta. His remark was labeled as a “weak excuse“.

Well national media, ESPN, and the guys from TNT like Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith; I got news for you. If you would show more Atlanta Hawks games on TV; you may know the team and players better. Since you don’t watch the Hawks or know about them; let me fill you in on a little secret. Since coming into the league Josh Smith has always rattled the rims with flashy dunks. Over the past 2 seasons, it seems Josh now has a pattern for his dunks. He has had many wide open dunks on the road and often these are just a casual lay-in or a normal dunk. When Josh has the opportunity at home (in front of hometown fans) he puts a little extra on them. The crowd and the fans of Atlanta want to see what Josh can do. We like to seem him dunk and we prefer the ones you would see in a dunk contest. Josh gives great performances on his slam dunks and always rewards the fans in Atlanta well.

Since this was the playoffs and the crowd was a lot larger than other home games for the Atlanta Hawks, I’m sure Josh felt the need to do a little something extra. A two-handed tomahawk dunk would have not been good enough and he needed to bring out the extra creativity in this breakaway dunk. Throwing the ball off the floor, the glass, or going between the legs like he did was really his only option. His dunk was purely for the fans and he would have did something special in a tighter game or one that had the Hawk’s on the wrong side of the scoreboard. There was never anything in this playoff series with the Heat that would suggest Josh would “show up” the other team. The between the legs dunk attempt was for the fans and only the fans. Josh has done spectacular dunks in the last two seasons during home games and rarely serves them up on the road.

Everyone on National TV that commented about the Josh Smith dunk attempt never did consider the fans point of view. Sometimes things are bigger than just the game between two teams and Josh understood this and gave the paying fans what they wanted. It’s the fans that make the sport possible and they are the ones paying the checks, so taking care of them is important. Josh Smith took care of the fans and the guys from TNT and ESPN have no clue about Josh Smith or the Atlanta Hawks team.

Hawks Travel to Cleveland Now

It’s time for the Atlanta Hawks to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in round 2 of the NBA Playoffs. The Hawks are heavily favored to lose this series with the Cavs. People are still not aware of the great 9 players we have on the roster yet and if these 9 get a chance to show their stuff, the Cleveland Cavaliers may find a fight on their hands. The Hawks are gifted with players that can run up and down the court and they all get off the floor really well. They can cause many problems for the Cavs offense and not sure they will put up enough points to win 4 games in this series.

Obviously you can’t consider the Cleveland Cavaliers team without talking about LeBron James. He’s a great player and all eyes will need to be on him this series. The guys like Ilgauskas and Williams have hurt us with their mid to long range shooting. Hopefully the Hawks keep a close eye on these two, clog the paint where James can’t drive to the basket, and force Lebron to take jumpers. LeBron doesn’t have a consistent stroke from outside and he’s not Dwayne Wade. Let him take open jumpers. He may knock down a few, but LeBron James can’t beat you with his jump shots. His penetration into the lane and the ability to finish at the rim or to dish to great jump shooters is his specialty and the Hawks can limit this by leaving him open beyond the arc. LeBron is confident in his game and it would be nice to see the Hawks let him shoot open jumpers. He can’t make enough to win this series and his pride will be on the line if you leave him open from outside.

The first game will be on Tuesday night in Cleveland. The game time for the Cavs and Hawks will be at 8PM Eastern Time. It should be fun to watch the Hawks and Cavaliers tip it off for real on Tuesday. I think a lot of NBA fans will get a better chance to see what has been cooking in Atlanta for the last few years. The Hawks are ready for this series and they come in a little wounded from the Miami playoff series. The Hawks will need to play under control in the first half and then get the game in a running style in the later quarters.

The first two games will be in Cleveland on Tuesday and Thursday night. Both games will have a tip-off time of 8PM. The Hawks don’t have to win both games, but winning one on the road in Cleveland does give the Hawks home court advantage in the series. They will need to defend their home court in every game they play against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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.

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