Back on Track

The Hawks entered Friday night’s game with a lot of issues to address, and the Warriors were more than accommodating. Both teams shot a lot of jumpers, but only the Hawks’ were falling. You can’t take too much from these sorts of games, of course, they happen from time to time in the NBA. Sometimes, a team just fails to show up, play hard or convert even the easiest of offensive chances — it’s a syndrome that the Hawks themselves are not immune to as we’ve all seen this season. But tonight the afflicted team was Golden State, which, in addition to boosting Josh Smith’s shooting confidence (possibly to lethal levels), it made the assimilation of newcomer Kirk Hinrich into the offense a bit easier.

Hinrich didn’t play much, but when he did he looked like a good fit for what the Hawks like to do on offense. After entering the game midway through the first quarter, Hinrich promptly buried a 3-pointer, announcing his presence and sparking a 19-7 run to close out the period. The final line for Hinrich: 17 minutes played, 8 pts., three assists and one turnover. Pretty respectable debut to be sure.

But Atlanta’s other point guard, the one Larry Drew seemingly forgot about for weeks at a time, took advantage of the increased playing time with a solid performance of his own (just don’t look at the shooting totals). Granted, it was against a lifeless Golden State squad, but Teague looked comfortable running the offense, earning six assists and playing a career-high 26 minutes. If he can replicate that assist output going forward, it’s possible his playing time will be less sporadic than it was with Mike Bibby on the team. (Speaking of Bibby, he kicked off his stint with the Wizards as only he can, going 0/4 from the floor in 10 minutes and posting a negative-19 plus/minus rating.)

There will be nights though when the Hawks will need him to shoot better than he did tonight, and that is what’s likely going to keep Hinrich (once he’s acclimated) and Jamal Crawford ahead of him in the rotation. It’s still nice to see our “point guard of the future,” even if only by default, get some extended burn for a change. It only took 118 games is all.

The Josh Smith/Al Horford tandem was really the showpiece tonight, as both players were terrific on both ends of the floor. Horford (22 pts. on 14 shots, 13 rebounds and 7 assists) has such a profound impact on both ends of the floor that it’s a shame he doesn’t get more national love. I won’t go so far as to say he should be an MVP candidate this season, largely because the Hawks’ overall record doesn’t justify such a claim, but he has to be approaching that stratosphere.

Meanwhile, Josh Smith continues to defy the cries of “Nooooo” from Atlanta fans every time he cocks his left elbow behind his ear to unleash that funky jumper. It’s hard to argue with the results on nights like tonight, when he hit 11/18 from the field and 1 of 2 3-pointers attempted, but these are the sort of nights that artificially inflate his confidence and threaten to hurt the team down the road. Sure, it’s nice to see him light it up from outside against a team which checked out mentally sometime between the opening tip and half-time, but come the playoffs, against teams that actually are trying to defend, we’re going to need Smoove attacking the basket, not settling into a comfort zone. As he’s the only Hawk who is legitimately un-guardable when attacking the hoop anymore, it’s imperative that he maintains an aggression on offense rather than being seduced by these easy-coming jumpers which will no longer be there six weeks from now.

Will see what the future holds for the new-look Hawks. Whether Hinrich can hit the ground running, Teague can actually begin his previously stunted development, and whether Horford and Smith can continue to dominate games, the Hawks will certainly never have it easier than they had it tonight. The next eight games are brutal on paper. After finishing up their west coast road trip with trips to Portland (Sunday) and Denver (Monday), the Hawks face the Bulls twice, plus the Lakers, Thunder and the revamped Knicks in the next two weeks. Time to see what we’re made of.

Bibby is gone, but the Hawks may not be done

Mike, you don't have to stop posting up on the three-point line, but you can't do it here.

So you may have heard that Mike Bibby was traded to the Wizards, along with Mo Evans, Jordan Crawford and a first rounder, for Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong. Obviously, this is a marginally positive development. But more player movement could be on the way.

Zaza Pachulia was held out of last night’s loss at Phoenix, as the Hawks continue to work on possible deals leading up to the 3 p.m. trade deadline. My initial reaction, forgetting any on-court implications, is “Nooooooooo!” Zaza is a fan favorite, just as Bibby was a non-fan favorite, so it would be sad to see him go. But uh, yeah, professional basketball is a business and all that, so good luck with the trade talks, Rick Sund. Hope it works out. And congrats on ridding the team of the Alb-Bib-tross.

Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong, welcome to Atlanta. To the former, I hope you improve the team’s on-ball defense and maybe contribute an occasional assist, which is much more than I can say for your predecessor. To the latter, I hope you and Josh Powell get along nicely on the bench.

Midweek Linkage, including a few updates

A few previous stories need updating it would seem.

…First, yesterday’s fantasy of Devin Harris in a Hawks uniform is now out the window, because he was shockingly sent to Utah today (along with Derrick Favors) in exchange for Deron Williams. The Hawks still need a point guard though, and as Michael Mark Bradley writes, the decision to pass on Chris Paul (and Williams) in the 2005 draft still haunts the team. Can’t wait for Bradley’s next column, in which we’ll learn why Kennedy’s trip to Dallas was a bad idea.

(Edit- not sure why I initially called Mark Bradley “Michael.” I’d like to blame it on something, maybe that I was reading a Michael Cunningham article at the same time, or maybe I was perusing the injury list for my 2010 fantasy football team, but really I just screwed up.)

…Oh yeah, the Hawks played a game last night. I would like to provide some insight, but it’d require more effort than the team has displayed of late? We can talk about lineups and personnel all we want, but the central issue is that the team just isn’t playing hard. They’ve dropped four of their last six games, three of which by 15 or more points. Something has to change and soon. As Al Horford tweeted, the team has “some soul searching to do.”

…A couple weeks back, the Falcons desire for a new stadium was just a talking point, but with the re-worked financing agreement between the team and the Georgia World Congress Center, the new crib could become a reality by as early as 2017. When I wrote about the possibility of a new stadium, I was mainly concerned with financing (I wanted the team to pay for all of it) and location (I wanted the team to stay in the city limits). One out of two ain’t bad. The new proposal will call for the city to kick in about half of the funds, with the rest of the bill being covered by the team.

The good news, however, is the new stadium will remain near downtown, adjacent to the Dome. And if you have grown attached to the jagged-roofed, (formerly) teal and mauve palace, fear not. The Dome will remain in tact to will continue to host college athletics such like the Chick-fil-A Bowl and ACC/SEC championship events.

… And lastly, it flew under the radar a bit, but the Braves announced a two-year contract extension for general manager Frank Wren earlier this week. I’ve come full circle on Wren, and am absolutely thrilled to have him as my favorite team’s GM. I take it most other fans who were once critical share that sentiment. He’s made more good moves than bad in his tenure, he’s rebuilt the pitching depth both at the major league level and in the farm system, and he made a huge splash this offseason in trading two minor assets for Dan Uggla. The present day Braves are looking pretty good, and the future looks even better. The extension was well deserved.

Non-crazy thought of the day: Devin Harris (or Ray Felton) in a Hawks’ uni?

Original images via NY Daily News and Dime Magazine.

The Carmelo Anthony trade that did (finally) happen could turn out to be good news for the Hawks, because the trade that didn’t happen gives the team a potential trade partner of its own.

After missing out on Anthony, the Nets are likely looking to shed salary with any potential deals, and they have in Devin Harris a very desirable trading chip for any team which is looking to upgrade at the point guard position. Sound like any team you know? Thought so. As Michael Cunningham writes, Hawks GM Rick Sund is actively scouring the trade market for potential guard help, and that search includes the Harris:

Harris, who turns 27 28 on Sunday, would meet Atlanta’s desire for a capable defender who also can push the pace and create shots for others. But he makes $9.3 million in 2011-12, and adding his salary to the roughly $65 million Atlanta has committed for next season would push Atlanta’s payroll above the current luxury-tax threshold (which could change in the new CBA). Harris also is owed $8.5 million in 2012-13.

It’s not clear whom the Hawks would offer for Harris. Jamal Crawford seems to be the obvious candidate because his expiring $10.1 million contract would allow the Nets to carve out even more cap space for next season–they have just $37 million in committed salaries.

With the salary differences, it wouldn’t be so simple as a straight Crawford-for-Harris swap. Assuming the Nets would take that deal to begin with (obviously, Atlanta would), that trade fails the all knowing ESPN Trade Machine.

This is the best I could do in matching up the salary figures without involving a third team.* Damion James was originally drafted by the Hawks this summer and swapped for the Jordan Crawford pick, so I don’t know if the Nets would be thrilled to include him in any deal. But hey, if Renaldo Balkman can return to the Knicks, anything can happen.

* – I revisited the Trade Machine and managed to work this one through the filter. Jeff Teague/Crawford for Harris and small forward Quinton Ross. It’d hurt a bit to give up on Teague this soon, but Harris is only 28, already an established player and has another 1.5 years left on his deal. I would do this move in a heartbeat.

Another possible scenario in the post-’Melo world: Denver could turn around and flip one of the newly acquired former Knicks, Raymond Felton. Felton was having a career year in New York, with with the young Ty Lawson ready to take over for the departing Chauncey Billups, the Nuggets appear set at point guard. The speculation around the league is that Felton will be dealt before the deadline.

So, Felton or Harris? Which would you prefer? The correct answer, of course, is “anyone but Mike Bibby.”

So yeah, the Knicks made a huge splash Monday night, but the ripple effects have provided the Hawks with options of their own.

 

Al vs. Amar’e: War of the words

Hawks-Knicks tonight at Madison Square Garden, which for multiple reasons should be quite the intense match up. As you may recall, the last time these two teams played, they engaged in fisticuffs. After the game, Amar’e Stoudemire set the stage for what should be a chippy rematch, taking this shot at his front-court counterpart, and fellow All-Star, Al Horford:

““It’s going to be a very, very intense game after what happened in Atlanta. He don’t want to see me. I watched him play in Florida, and I’ve seen him play a few years in Atlanta. We’ve got two different games, and we’ll see how it plays out.”

Predictably, Al wasn’t too pleased with the unprovoked attack:

“I don’t understand what he means by I don’t want to see him. Like we are supposed to be scared of him or something. Ain’t nobody scared of nobody. We are all grown men. It’s all good.”

…

“I walked out with the W’s the last two times, so that’s that.”

Gonna give the advantage to Horford, because the “W’s” are all that matters. Let’s hope the Hawks can grab another tonight.

Horford inactive vs. Wizards, Zaza to start

Al Horford will not play tonight, per Ken Sugiura, but plans to return for Tuesday’s game vs. Philadelphia. In Al’s stead will be Zaza Pachulia, making his second start of the season after getting just 9:36 of floor time last night vs. the Clippers.

Oh, and one more thing – The over/under for “times John Wall blows past Mike Bibby like Bibby’s not even there” is unofficially set at 32.5.

Al Horford = Rhinoceros testicles

Wincing in pain after crashing to the floor minutes earlier, Al Horford stepped to the line for the game-winning free throws. (Photo: Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)

On a night when the Hawks continuously fell asleep on the defensive end (much to the benefit of Clips point guard Baron Davis’ stat line) and too often settled for long jumpers on the offensive end, it took a heroic effort from the team’s emotional leader in the final seconds to escape with the victory.

After a scary mid-air with Blake Griffin, and the subsequent hard fall to the floor, it looked as though Al Horford might not be able to shoot his free throw attempts — with the result of the game hanging in the balance — with 0.6 left on the clock. But Al wasn’t having it.

“Once I got up, I focused in. I just had to go in there and knock it down.” After taking nearly two minutes to peel himself off the floor, Al promptly buried both shots and, in doing so, buried the Clippers in front of a sellout crowd at Philips Arena.

After the game, Horford tweeted that he was getting treatment on his lower back, and as he told the AJC’s Ken Sugiura, he will travel to DC with the rest of the team for tonight’s game against the Wizards but did not know yet whether he’d be able to play.

Nobody will blame Al if he has to sit out a couple of games. The force of the collision with Griffin was that of a football tackle, only it happened with both players 10 feet off the ground. There’s no way that Griffin’s hard foul was malicious, nor do I think it was necessary to call it a flagrant, but it was certainly dangerous and scary as a Hawks fan. If Al’s lower back needs a game or two to heal itself, especially with the All-Star break coming up, so be it. He’s got nothing to prove.

J-J-Joe Johnson is feeling it

The Hawks blew past a depleted Raptors squad thanks in large part to another strong offensive output of Joe Johnson. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

After his 37-point outburst vs. Toronto last night, Joe Johnson has now scored 30+ in five of his last nine games. Since January 1, he’s made 38 % of his 3 pt. attempts and is averaging 26.7/5/4. I think it’s safe to say the elbow surgery was successful.

In handing the Toronto its 13th straight loss, the Hawks combined for 30 assists and 100 points despite only attempting 9 free throws. Al Horford (12 points., 14 boards) was three assists shy of a triple-double while Josh Smith also added a double-double of his own. Smoove kicked in two steals and three blocks in the complete victory.  Up next is a weekend back-to-back with the league’s two best rookies.  First, a home date with Blake Griffin and the Clippers. Then the team pays a visit to our nation’s capital to face the John Wall-led Wizards.

State of the Blog

When I started this site exactly one year ago, I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to go with it. I just knew that I wanted to provide Atlanta sports fans with the coverage of their teams that they deserve.

After a few months it soon morphed into pure Braves talk – “write what you know” and all that – with the occasional Hawks or Falcons update. I still love following the Hawks of course, but with a wealth of outlets – including but not limited to Brett LaGree’s oustanding work at Hoopinion – providing insightful game-by-game analysis, I started to enjoy reading about Atlanta basketball more than I did writing about it. There will still be Hawks talk aplenty, but I’m going to steer away from game recaps.

To the scarcity of Falcons updates, I owe both my lack of DirecTV’s absurdly expensive Sunday Ticket package – which forced me to turn to dubious and unreliable methods for watching the hometown team – and my increasing disenchantment with pro football. The reasons why I dislike the NFL more than I once did could span an entire series of blog posts, but for the sake of brevity I’ll just say that I prefer Saturdays to Sundays. I decided to focus more on college football last fall, specifically the SEC, and that will continue to be the case going forward.

That’s not to say this space won’t ever feature any news or opinion about pro football, because the Falcons will still have a presence. I’ll cover topics like free-agency, the draft and other major personnel moves. But given the droning prominence of NFL discussion in the national media, I don’t feel the need to add my voice to the cacophony during the season. While I still love the Falcons and am excited about the current state of the franchise, unless I have something fresh to say I won’t be writing about them here. In respect to this site’s coverage of football, college will remain king. (And let’s face it, that’s just how it is in the south.)

As this blog ambles into its second year, I hope to continue to fill this space with a unique and heartfelt perspective on what it means to be a part of one of America’s most underrepresented fan bases. What you’ll find is a continued examination on just how crazy you have to be to keep cheering for these heartbreaking sons-a-bitches every year. To the many irrational homers, unapologetic apologists and rabid enthusiasts out there, I am writing on your behalf. I don’t wish to provide you a voice, but rather to echo your outcries to the rest of the world. The only goal I have for ctrlATLdel going forward is that it continues to provide the Internet with a glimpse of Atlanta’s distinct brand of fanaticism. The hope is to continue to provide timely and relevant viewpoints on Atlanta’s pro teams, as well as the variety of college programs which Atlanta residents support.

So yes, that will include a disproportionate amount of Braves talk, but only because no discussion of the Falcons or Hawks (or um, Thrashers) during a Georgia winter can be complete without the utterance of that one uplifting sentiment:

“It’s okay, spring training is right around the corner.”

Hawks Open With Blowout Over Memphis

The Larry Drew era couldn’t have gotten off to a much better start. On the strength of rebounding and ball movement, Atlanta ran over the Grizzlies, 119-104,  in the season opener for both teams. Sure, Memphis was without its top two front court options — Center Marc Gasol was a out with an ankle injury and forward Zach Randolph did not return after a hard fall in the first quarter– but all in all, an encouraging start for the 2010 Hawks.

Taking advantage of the depleted frontcourt, Zaza Pachulia was a terror on the glass. Zaza finished with 11 boards after grabbing nine in the first half. Working in a brand new Motion Offense, the Hawks shooters had plenty of room to knock down jumpers, and that they did. Mike Bibby was 4-4 from three-point land, while J-J-Joe Johnson made uncharacteristically high 11 trips to the line (making nine) and finished the night with 22 points and just two turnovers against seven assists.

Not as encouraging: Jeff Teague turning the ball over twice in just 16 minutes of floor-time. It was great to see #0 get some non-garbage time for a change, but we’re still a long way from being able to trust the sophomore guard for extended minutes at the point.

81 more games hand wringing though, for now let’s just enjoy the great start. Next up for Atlanta, a Friday night slate with the Sixers in Philadelphia. Philly is 0-1 after dropping its opener to the Heat on Wednesday.