Hawks Brutal Stretch to open season

Post #1 » by **Jamaaliver** » Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:58 pm

I'm looking at this team's schedule for the first few weeks, and it sounds rough. The primary issue: a ton of games, on the road, with little time off in-between.

The first 5 games are all away games. And only once does Atlanta have consecutive days off--leaving little opportunity to recover from travel or get in much practice.

With a new roster of young, unproven players who haven't played much together, this seems yet another obstacle that could easily lead to a rough start to the season.

We get a decent break after the Nov 6th game, but that follows contests against HOU, CLE & BOS in a 4 day stretch.

Things could get ugly in the first few weeks of the season.

Am I crazy, overthinking this, or is this a herculean task that we might not yet be ready to overcome?

Thoughts?
Predictions?
Concerns?

macd-gm · Post #2 » by **macd-gm** » Thu Oct 12, 2017 3:26 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:I'm looking at this team's schedule for the first few weeks, and it sounds rough. The primary issue: a ton of games, on the road, with little time off in-between.

The first 5 games are all away games. And only once does Atlanta have consecutive days off leaving little opportunity to recover from travel or get in much practice.

With a new roster of young, unproven players who haven't played much together, this seems yet another obstacle that could easily lead to a rough start to the season.

We get a decent break after the Nov 6th game, but that follows contests against HOU, CLE & BOS in a 4 day stretch.

Things could get ugly in the first few weeks of the season.

Am I crazy, overthinking this, or is this a herculean task that we might not yet be ready to overcome?

Thoughts?
Predictions?
Concerns?

I think we are going to lose a lot on the road to start the season. Wouldn't surprise me to lose them all. I don't really know how the schedule making process works but my guess is there are proposals and then teams say "Hell no, you're screwing us" and then the league tweaks the schedules. This year I think Travis got the schedule and said "Looks perfect to me!". Bwhahahahahahahhahahaha

jayu70 · Post #3 » by **jayu70** » Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:03 pm

Bud was pissed at the schedule. The NBA did us no favors with this schedule.

graymule · Post #4 » by **graymule** » Thu Oct 12, 2017 7:09 pm

I'm eternally optimistic. Everyone knows this.

All these hard games early and being open on the road forever, or so it will seem, will give our very young
roster an opportunity to bond. Our veterans, most of all which are not really the over the hill gang, will
help as mentors for our young lads.

Playing all these road games AND all the very good NBA teams will be a growing opportunity for the Hawks.
Seems everyone expects practically nothing this season. Hoping for that great lottery pick that is so elusive
every year should have those "Tank, Tank" fans in heaven.

Having been raised on a farm, I fully understand the patience that is necessary as we wait from the spring
planting time until the fall harvest. This Hawk team is full of youth. They must learn. Experience can't be
duplicated. When we hear, "Been there, done that," we understand. Experience.

Bud will bend them and blend them until they become a real team. What great excitement we, the fans,
have in store. We get to watch as they grow up, and they will. They will get better and better. Those
early, tough games behind them and they will be home.

GO ATL HAWKS !

Let's get that last pre season game behind us, set the final roster and hit the road!!!

jayu70 · Post #5 » by **jayu70** » Thu Oct 12, 2017 7:13 pm

graymule wrote:8-)
I'm eternally optimistic. Everyone knows this.

All these hard games early and being open on the road forever, or so it will seem, will give our very young
roster an opportunity to bond. Our veterans, most of all which are not really the over the hill gang, will
help as mentors for our young lads.

Playing all these road games AND all the very good NBA teams will be a growing opportunity for the Hawks.
Seems everyone expects practically nothing this season. Hoping for that great lottery pick that is so elusive
every year should have those "Tank, Tank" fans in heaven.

Having been raised on a farm, I fully understand the patience that is necessary as we wait from the spring
planting time until the fall harvest. This Hawk team is full of youth. They must learn. Experience can't be
duplicated. When we hear, "Been there, done that," we understand. Experience.

Bud will bend them and blend them until they become a real team. What great excitement we, the fans,
have in store. We get to watch as they grow up, and they will. They will get better and better. Those
early, tough games behind them and they will be home.

GO ATL HAWKS !

Let's get that last pre season game behind us, set the final roster and hit the road!!!

Gramps, always the optimist. I'm with you :nod:

.
I'm excited for the season.

Post #6 » by **ATL Boy** » Fri Oct 13, 2017 11:47 pm

I just hope we're not 0-5 going into that home opener, would really dampen the mood

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MaceCase · Post #7 » by **MaceCase** » Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:32 am

Character builders.

graymule · Post #8 » by **graymule** » Mon Oct 16, 2017 12:59 pm

It's here! All the off season planning - All those moves to re shape our roster - those pre season games where
we decided who would stay and who would go - all this is now history We're set to go.

Our brutal opening stretch of the season is here. Questions hang over the head of our young team. First and foremost
has to be at point guard. Can we depend on Dennis? Can he step up and be "The Man" for the Hawks? It's now
considered to be his team. He must step up and claim ownership. In our final pre season game, he seemed to be
in the "sleepwalk" mode the entire first half that he was in. This must not be.

With our new, different offense, can we drive and kick, hit the open three when available and drive and score when
our opponent covers up the three point line? This young club must, in my opinion, live and die by the three point
shot. If we can't stop our opponents from playing "Bombs Away" from down town, we lose. If we can't hit a good
% of our own three point tries, we lose.

Will our shots fall for us? They must if we are to win games. Do we have the players capable of scoring? Can we
limit turnovers? Can we hit our foul shots? Can we play defense without making foul after foul so that any Hawk
has three or more fouls in one quarter? This happened more than once in pre season.

All the extra players on the roster in pre season, are gone. We're all set. So many questions remain. The only
way that we will know the answers is to watch the first 20 or so games. Then we will begin to know what is what
and who can and who can't. New team. New season. New excitement among the fans!

GO ATL !! -

Post #9 » by **Jamaaliver** » Wed Oct 18, 2017 5:39 pm

Hawks begin longest-ever trip to start season but opponents not fearsome

...it’s not ideal for the Hawks to begin the season with a five-game trip that is the longest to start the season in franchise history.

Before the Hawks departed for tonight’s season opener in Dallas, coach Mike Budenholzer was looking at the bright side.

“Going out on the road can be a positive,” Budenholzer said. “Spending time together and maybe more time in practices or film sessions. You don’t have anywhere to go or you don’t have a family to go home to. More time to bond and things like that. And you are tested on the road whether it be the crowd or the home team’s energy. But it’s the schedule. You’ve got to make the best of it.”

Again, a five-game trip to start the season is not ideal. But if there’s another bright side it’s that the Hawks aren’t going to play any NBA championship contenders on the trip. Their opponents include three likely lottery teams (Mavs, Nets and Bulls), one fringe playoff team in the East (Heat) and one likely postseason participant in the East (Hornets).

Winning five or four games on the trip might be a too much to expect from the Hawks but they plausibly could grind out three.

If they lose four games or all five then it could be a sign that all the preseason skepticism about this team is warranted.

myAJC

Spoiler:

macd-gm · Post #10 » by **macd-gm** » Wed Oct 18, 2017 5:41 pm

How are the Hornets likely and the Heat fringe? I'd flip that script.

Post #11 » by **Jamaaliver** » Tue Oct 24, 2017 11:53 am

So, one week into the season and things look...rough.

The team is 1-3. The offense currently sits at 97.2 points per 100 possessions. This ranks us 25th in the league early in the season. And we're bottom five in assists per game.

On a brighter note, we are in the top 10 in Pace.

The really good news is the early play of the rookie John Collins. The JC Kid has been very productive with back to back double-doubles in games 3 & 4. As of today, he leads the team in rebounding and PER.

Dedmon has been solid. But plays like a career backup. Dennis has been...inefficient. Taurean has been inconsistent.

The initial victory over Dallas was impressive. Everything since has been underwhelming.

We have one more game on the road before we get to open up at home. This one a likely victory vs the tanking Bulls.

macd-gm · Post #12 » by **macd-gm** » Tue Oct 24, 2017 2:05 pm

While it's frustrating to watch, I"m not surprised. The NBA is tough and we have a LOT of guys still learning our offensive and defensive schemes. We will get better. Bud has always been good about teaching guys by watching tape and we have plenty of mistakes to learn from.
I just wonder if Bud continues to try to insist that Baze is a starter and Delaney is a good backup PG will this be wedge in his relationship with Travis.

jayu70 · Post #13 » by **jayu70** » Tue Oct 24, 2017 4:51 pm

macd-gm wrote:While it's frustrating to watch, I"m not surprised. The NBA is tough and we have a LOT of guys still learning our offensive and defensive schemes. We will get better. Bud has always been good about teaching guys by watching tape and we have plenty of mistakes to learn from.
I just wonder if Bud continues to try to insist that Baze is a starter and Delaney is a good backup PG will this be wedge in his relationship with Travis.

Not if it continues to lead where Travis has the Hawks pointed - The Lottery.

macd-gm · Post #14 » by **macd-gm** » Tue Oct 24, 2017 4:58 pm

jayu70 wrote:
macd-gm wrote:While it's frustrating to watch, I"m not surprised. The NBA is tough and we have a LOT of guys still learning our offensive and defensive schemes. We will get better. Bud has always been good about teaching guys by watching tape and we have plenty of mistakes to learn from.
I just wonder if Bud continues to try to insist that Baze is a starter and Delaney is a good backup PG will this be wedge in his relationship with Travis.

Not if it continues to lead where Travis has the Hawks pointed - The Lottery.

But what happens when Travis wants to trade Baze and a 2nd round pick for Brevin Knight? Is Bud going to freak out.

jayu70 · Post #15 » by **jayu70** » Tue Oct 24, 2017 5:01 pm

macd-gm wrote:
jayu70 wrote:
macd-gm wrote:While it's frustrating to watch, I"m not surprised. The NBA is tough and we have a LOT of guys still learning our offensive and defensive schemes. We will get better. Bud has always been good about teaching guys by watching tape and we have plenty of mistakes to learn from.
I just wonder if Bud continues to try to insist that Baze is a starter and Delaney is a good backup PG will this be wedge in his relationship with Travis.

Not if it continues to lead where Travis has the Hawks pointed - The Lottery.

But what happens when Travis wants to trade Baze and a 2nd round pick for Brevin Knight? Is Bud going to freak out.

Brevin - he's still playing at age 41?

macd-gm · Post #16 » by **macd-gm** » Tue Oct 24, 2017 5:03 pm

jayu70 wrote:
macd-gm wrote:
jayu70 wrote:Not if it continues to lead where Travis has the Hawks pointed - The Lottery.

But what happens when Travis wants to trade Baze and a 2nd round pick for Brevin Knight? Is Bud going to freak out.

Brevin - he's still playing at age 41?

Oh geez. Tequila in the morning is not a good idea....or is it? Brandon I mean of course. A trade I'd do in a second.

jayu70 · Post #17 » by **jayu70** » Tue Oct 24, 2017 5:11 pm

macd-gm wrote:
jayu70 wrote:
macd-gm wrote:
But what happens when Travis wants to trade Baze and a 2nd round pick for Brevin Knight? Is Bud going to freak out.

Brevin - he's still playing at age 41?

Oh geez. Tequila in the morning is not a good idea....or is it? Brandon I mean of course. A trade I'd do in a second.

On average over the next 3 years, Knight is only making approximately $3.5 million less than Baze. At least in the Dwight trade we saved over half his salary and got a useful 'Bell'. I guess it depends on what else is coming with Knight?

macd-gm · Post #18 » by **macd-gm** » Tue Oct 24, 2017 5:38 pm

jayu70 wrote:
macd-gm wrote:
jayu70 wrote:Brevin - he's still playing at age 41?

Oh geez. Tequila in the morning is not a good idea....or is it? Brandon I mean of course. A trade I'd do in a second.

On average over the next 3 years, Knight is only making approximately $3.5 million less than Baze. At least in the Dwight trade we saved over half his salary and got a useful 'Bell'. I guess it depends on what else is coming with Knight?

You seem to be overlooking the fact that Knight would be a big upgrade over Delaney.

tbhawksfan1 · Post #19 » by **tbhawksfan1** » Tue Oct 24, 2017 7:20 pm

Exactly the kind of tanking that I want to see from the Hawks. This team was destined to lose by many bad choices and absurdly poor cap and talent management.

BUT, they're playing Budball. The young guys are learning and the draft slots are lining up.

Keep it up and it will be the perfecy losing season. Had to be, but doing it right.

I think TS gets it and he has Bud.

jayu70 · Post #20 » by **jayu70** » Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:36 pm

macd-gm wrote:
jayu70 wrote:
macd-gm wrote:
Oh geez. Tequila in the morning is not a good idea....or is it? Brandon I mean of course. A trade I'd do in a second.

On average over the next 3 years, Knight is only making approximately $3.5 million less than Baze. At least in the Dwight trade we saved over half his salary and got a useful 'Bell'. I guess it depends on what else is coming with Knight?

You seem to be overlooking the fact that Knight would be a big upgrade over Delaney.

Except Knight is out for the year with a torn ACL. It's not hard to be better than Delaney, Isaiah Taylor last night was an upgrade over Delaney.