Beggers can't be choosers

It would be an understatement to say that wins have been tough to come by for this young Hawks team. Where at times it can be feast or famine for youth during an 82 game stretch, it has been mostly famine. The Hawks, prior to Wednesday night's scintillating victory over the Heat, were losers of four straight on the road this season and seventeen in a row dating back to last season. So for those who may point at the listless first quarter performance or the atrocious shooting from the field, I respond "it's a win and I'll take it."

Hawk's Notes:

1. Anybody who thinks this team would be anything without Joe Johnson is just plain wrong. Johnson single handedly led the Hawks comeback, draining two huge threes (on another night when the Hawks were not shooting well from beyond the arc) in crunch time, the second putting the team up five. Joe is definitely pressing at times, trying to shoulder too much of the load. However, on Wednesday, he got the job done admirably.


2. First quarter coma continues. It seems like years since this team took a sizeable lead in the first quarter (you have to go back to the Charlotte blowout for that), and the tune didn't change against the Heat. Shaq, D-Wade, and a surprising Ricky Davis landed a stiff uppercut to the Hawks' jaw early in the game. The Hawks really didn't recover until the fourth quarter, when they mounted their comeback. Here's hoping we bring Jim Mora back to Atlanta just so he can sniff some smelling salts with the young ones pre-game.


3. Outside shooting needed. While watching the Heat broadcast last night (and if you were blind and partially deaf you would have STILL known it was a Heat broadcast given how insanely pro-Heat these guys were), I learned an interesting but unsurprising statistic: the Hawks rank dead last in the league in three point shooting. What a surprise, given we have "sniper" saddled on the bench and J-Smoove's beautiful stroke from outside. Catch the sarcasm? This team can't beat the zone becasue they can't shoot from outside. With the exception of Joe, Marvin, and Chil at times, the Hawks are not a good outside shooting team. Which means they need to trade for a shooter (a guy like Kyle Korver comes to mind), or stop calling Salim Stoudamire "sniper." I'm officially petitioning Steve Smith and Bob Rathbun on this, because anybody who shoots 36% or less from 3 point land should never be called "sniper."
   

so much for distractions

Did anybody else think Tony Parker's game would digress after his off-season as an A-List celeb? I'm not a frequent reader of People magazine, but his outrageous wedding with Eva was as much a news story as Lindsey Lohan's meltdown or Britney's baby mama drama. Good news for Pop and Spurs fans though...all that offseason drama hasn't effected his game. Parker prodded and penetrated (and no that wasn't a reference to the Zen Master's Brokeback comments, which incurred way too much backlash by the way) his way through the Hawks defense. Parker's ease to the basket was aptly described by Hawks analyst Steve Smith as a "layups drill." That more than makes up for Smith's earlier categorization of Spurs back-up Jacque Vaughn as a "great point guard." Parker is on the verge of becoming, if not already, a great point guard. Jacque? Not so much. Back to Parker. Whether he's a top 5-pg in the league is just semantics. If he isn't in that grouping, with the Nash's and Kidd's, he's damn close. He orchestrates a Spurs offense that is graceful as it gets. And on Tuesday night vs. the Hawks, Parker conduct a perfect symphony. Flashback to the second quarter. Parker straight up took over. Layups on fast breaks, layups on a dribble drive penetrations over J-Chil, pull up jumpers short of the foul line, and three point shots from the corner. The kid (if I can still call him that) came into the league without being able to shoot a lick. Look at him now. Knocking that jumper down with ease. Which has led him to where? Layups son. Layups.

Hawks thoughts:

1. Mario West earned his paycheck. I gotta admit I didn't think this guy was NBA ready when he donned the yellow, gold and black at Georgia Tech. Most players with the talent of a Mario West get drafted by the D-League and stay there. Either that or they go overseas for a paycheck. But West was flying all over the place on Tuesday, and helped spark a mini-rally enabling the Hawks to at least get the lead hovering around 14 (trust me, it was that ugly). Every team needs a guy like West. The Spurs have it with Oberto (can't tell you how many rebounds and tips that guy got his hand on). Here's hoping the guy sticks around.
2. Josh Smith's maddening season continues. After throwing up 38 against the Bucks with inspired play Sat. night, Smith came out flailing Tuesday. It's unreal how the dude can put the team on his back one night, and come back the next game only to cost the team any chance at putting together a rally. J-Smoove just never got it together against the Spurs. He missed some outside shots early on (including an ill-advised three), and then committed some costly turnovers in the third and fourth. On one key possession late in the fourth, when Joe Johnson had helped cut the lead to ten, Smith led a fast break only to throw the ball away straight to Pop on the bench. Smoove tried to blame the pass on a foul...no dice.
   
3. Zaza, where art thou? Big Z is still struggling mightily coming back from the ankle and leg injuries he sustained in the preseason. Zaza looks to be pressing on the court and at times just simply looking to do too much. I can't fault Woody for starting the big fella. He's a vet, and the Hawks can't afford Horford to hit the rookie wall 15 games into the season. But Big Z needs to get it together...fast.
   

Around the League:

• Been watching a ton of basketball thanks to God's gift to mankind, the NBA League Pass. For some reason, I have been watching a ton of Laker games. I think its something about that "stage" effect they try to pull off by darkening the lighting for the crowd. I love their announcing team and Kobe's straight up fun to watch. He plays with that killer instinct all the time. Fault him for being a ball hog; fault him for calling out the GM, the coach, and the rest of the team. But he's a competitor, and is arguably the best player in the league. Phil Jackson has that team clicking, and on Sunday night vs. the Bulls, the triangle offense was clicking on all cylinders. If the bench can continue to keep up the production, the Lakers will make some noise in the West...yes, even in the West.
  

DirtyTalk

What causes someone to open their mind up to the rest of the world - a.k.a. the internet - and relay their innermost thoughts? Is it passion? Perhaps its just a strong belief in one's opinion. For me, its the Atlanta Hawks, a team I grew up on as a young pup 14 years ago. I would be lying if I told you the team wasn't a part of me. All the way from the days of 'Nique (who got traded a week before my first Hawks game) to the future in J-Smoove and Marvin, I have never lost any love for the team. Has it been trying? No doubt. Especially the last eight years, where it feels like the team keeps fumbling the ball over, and over, and over.... But better times are ahead. I'm here to dissect and analyze what happens on the court. Off the court....I'll leave that up to my man Sekou Smith over at the ajc.com website. He can finger the pulse of the team better than me. Dude puts up the sickest blog on the net. Find it here.