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."