2008-09 NBA Season Preview: Atlanta Hawks

Post #1 » by **HMFFL** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:57 pm

The Hawks were so all over the place in 2007-08, both on the court and off, that the 36 wins I have them penciled in for even seems like a stretch.

It might not make any sense to those who weren't watching, what with the team's young core and with the late-season exposure the Hawks received, but Atlanta actually started 2006-07 as a top-notch defensive team. In fact, for most of the season — while most scribes and TV pundits talked about the team's offensive firepower and Joe Johnson's scoring touch — it was defense that was winning games for these Hawks.

That slowed as winter thawed, however, and especially after the team traded for Mike Bibby. What followed were some offensive gains that, frankly, I don't think the team can keep up. Entering this season, are these Hawks going to have it in them to get back to that defensive mindset? Are they going to play the same hungry D that won them contract extensions (for coaches and players), or are they going to point fingers and look for shots?

And I don't want to hear how the Hawks "took Boston to the brink," either. They were blown out badly on the road, and won three close ones at home. Bravo to the latter, but the team still lost by an average of 12 points per game. That's not "to the brink." That's "flipping a coin and having it land on heads, three times in a row."

Worse, this is a thin team. The draft work of former GM Billy Knight and the summertime work of an ownership group that really doesn't like to spend money made sure of this. Sure, the owners and Knight did well to bring in Mike Bibby last February and sign Maurice Evans over the summer, but these are two players who will be in their 30s this year and are on the downside of their career.

Link

JoshB914 · Post #2 » by **JoshB914** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:15 pm

I'm confused. How did Atlanta not take Boston to the brink if they were one game away from elimination? Series aren't decided on PPG. Who cares how we started the 2006-07 season on defense? Or was that a typo?

lethalweapon3 · Post #3 » by **lethalweapon3** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:25 pm

Can we just take these Previews and lump them together somewhere, and bring them all back in April? I'm done with "previews" by people who took no time over the summer to "view," except to open the newspaper and bemoan the (momentary?) departure of Chillz.

That said, I really do like Skeets' mashed-up format with the previews, somebody had a lot of fun putting these together. The Lolnbaz are funny.

And the best line in there, from "Zaza": "Turn hen over and let Al flatten it with fist. Tell Al hen look like TJ Ford." :lol:

~iyf

evildallas · Post #4 » by **evildallas** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:36 pm

The team adds a veteran PG and a veteran reserve to one of the youngest team in the league and then gets dinged that they are going into their 30s? I don't get it. Bibby isn't what he once was, but you can't get veteran presence without some age.

conleyorbust · Post #5 » by **conleyorbust** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 9:19 pm

JoshB914 wrote:I'm confused. How did Atlanta not take Boston to the brink if they were one game away from elimination? Series aren't decided on PPG. Who cares how we started the 2006-07 season on defense? Or was that a typo?

Yeah, it was a typo. The problem there was that he said, "the team got worse on D after the trade and better on O but I don't think they can stay better on O." He assumes we will stay bad on D like we were after the trade when we had no depth and assumes we will get worse on O.

td00 · Post #6 » by **td00** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 7:58 am

We will be better on D without Marvin and worse on O without Marvin, so you really gotta think Woody will like the new frontline and then rotate the guards with Bibby/Acie/Flip and JJ/Mo.

This team should improve on the 37 wins of last year, but not sure if they shut down the offense of the top 3 teams? I think we compete well against all except the top 3 in the East.