Hawks Pierced In Boston

I'm not even going to mention last season's playoff run. That was then and this is now. What I will say, is that the Hawks are so much more fun to watch this year. They had the Celtics on their backside for most of the game and it wasn't until the fourth quarter that the game even looked close.

ESPN probably had the best write up on the game, but too much emphasis on last year. Some things that are different, for those interested:

• No Josh Childress - The Hawks one and only bench player (sorry Zaza, you're just there for fouls).
• Flip Murray - An actual bench player that contributes
• Mo Evans - Another bench player that is contributing
• Marvin Williams shooting 3 pointers (went 4/4 over K.G.!)
• Mike Bibby (Let's face it folks, he was NOT there last season)

It's not a moral victory, it's a big ole loss in a long season. However, the Hawks did it all without JOSH SMITH... and THAT makes me want to HOOT!

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Goliaths Wins! Two Victories in 48 Hours

After the Giants' win at the beginning of the year, I thought it might be the year of David.

As the cliche' goes, it's David vs. Goliath. In my mind, you shouldn't get the title of Goliath, unless their's a fair amount of arrogance. The media has to predict it as a foregone conclusion. Without the arrogance you just have someone who is really good, like Michael Jordan. He didn't "appear" to be arrogant, even though if you were playing against him, you'd likely be on the losing side:

41-42 As the Philistine paced back and forth, his shield bearer in front of him, he noticed David. He took one look down on him and sneered—a mere youngster, apple-cheeked and peach-fuzzed.

43 The Philistine ridiculed David. "Am I a dog that you come after me with a stick?" And he cursed him by his gods.

44 "Come on," said the Philistine. "I'll make roadkill of you for the buzzards. I'll turn you into a tasty morsel for the field mice."

Notice in the Message translation of the Bible, the arrogance is clear. Of course, the other cliche is cinderella, but we won't go there today. It's kind of odd how the media remembers Goliath but not David.

In Atlanta, it's pretty clear that the Celtics and Tiger Woods and fit the bill as Goliath to a "T" except for one small thing.

• They are arrogant (check)
• They were predicted to win by a landslide (check)
• They fell to the most unlikely of opponents...(almost)

This year there has been three clear times when a David was facing a Goliath.

• Celtics VS Hawks (then Cavs) - Call it youth or coaching, I think this series could have been closer than it looked when the Hawks were on the road.
• Tiger VS Rocco - Closer than anyone thought. I don't think Tiger was really grinding it out... the sentimental words about his Father were touching, but he's become so arrogant in his play and actions, it's time for:

David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine crashed, facedown in the dirt.

That may be a bit harsh. With a few exceptions on the Celtics team, their wins are hollow. Even the Boston Fans are arrogant and rude. The only time Boston franchises have any redeeming value is when they are beating New York. In a franchise where conspiracy theories are flying around, it seems like one theory could be that they want to put the critics to rest (as I am sure that the world would love a game seven so they could make yet one more comparison of Kobe and Jordan).

So at the end of the day, the world is broken. The deserving* team loses and Goliath wins another.

*Deserving - Which ever team is being rooted for by the author is deemed, "deserving."

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Twosday Round Up: Pretenders vs Kobe and Smoltz

Twosday Round Up is a feature that looks at two sports in one blog topic.

Pretenders vs Kobe

We all know by now that the Celtics (*cough* Pretenders *cough*) are playing the Lakers. What really gets me is that this was hyped before the playoffs even started. They were talking about this back when the Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were riding the pine watching the Atlanta Hawks eat their lunch. They talked about it when Lebron made Kevin Garnett look like Manute Bol. They still talked about when Ray Allen looked more like Ray Charles in most of the Piston's series. Well, let's give them a golf clap for finally getting here. However, to compare this Celtics team to any of the championshipr Celtics teams is ludracris. Paul Pierce is no better than any other shooting guard on 90% of the NBA teams and Garnett is more reminiscent of Dennis Rodman than Mchale.

After the Lakers win this in 5, I hope that the NBA hype machine can put this to rest. It's not some storied playoff round. It's one mediocre team playing a pretty good one with the best player in the NBA.

SMOLTZ IS BACK!

The best money pitcher of my era is back and is in the Bullpen. Sure he blew his first save opportunity, but this is Smoltz. He could throw it with his foot and still get more people out than Clemens without the juice. What I'm reading about Smoltz return, I am liking.

"The results can be a little deceiving," Smoltz said. "I could have gone out
there, given up three line drive outs and everybody would have said, 'Nice job.'
I just think I needed to be a little better with my touch. I'm overpowering some
of my pitches and not trusting the movement."

You have to read between the lines, but pay attention to his "lines." The reporters usually don't know too much when it comes to Smoltz. I'm at least not concerned about our bullpen anymore.

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Love, Hate the Series

Love the fire and the me against the world theme, but I hate goin' out like that.

Joe, I know you want Woodson back..... and as long as Billy is gone, I don't mind either.

For once I'm excited about NBA Basketball again and as long as we do what we need to do this offseason I'm excited about next season.

Wish List:

1. FIRE BILLY KNIGHT, Period. Two good picks last year does not a Good GM make.
   
2. Sign Josh Smith long term - Get him someone that can motivate him EVERY game.
3. Sign Josh Childress - Vital part off the Bench
4. TRADE Mike Bibby - Either Picks, or a veteran LEADER (I know that was what he was supposed to be).
   
   OR
5. Bring in another offensive theat... Could be Marvin Williams, if he finally decides to step up.
   

The Hawks reminded me of a team full of Steve Smiths yesterday. Not good.

Thank you for the fun series though!

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Blueprint for a Choke

Yahoo! has an article about the Atlanta Hawks laying down a blueprint for other teams to take out the Celtics. Notice, even the media is starting to half way believe!

(Mike Woodson)His defiance is understandable, but who is Woodson kidding? Belief was universal that the 37-45 Hawks were destined for destruction. For now, this is the eve of an NBA apocalypse. Commissioner David Stern has endured one Finals bust after another, but the prospects of preserving a collision course for the top-seeded Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers could inspire him to throw on a striped shirt Sunday and come down to the Garden floor himself.

Article Here

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Seven

I love this picture, because, for once, the arrogant Boston crowd is actually having to take people from the South a bit more seriously.

It's more than game seven (which I hope the Atlanta Hawks can make competitive), it's more than Mike Bibby being right about their fans. We might have to overcome our coach, our owners, in some cases our franchises losing history, but for one night, there was no greater franchise on the planet than the Atlanta Hawks.

Marvin Williams stepped up pretty big, I'd love to see him get more aggressive because the team needs a scorer that can shoot and drive.

Not sure about his knee, but the Celtics disrespected him and he stepped up, big.



MVP

Easily, at the end of the series, Josh Childress, needs to be recognized. He's turned into a solid 6th man for the team and is much more effective in the game then many of our starters, night in and night out.

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Yahoo! Article Suggest Hawks Are NOT making History

You take by far the worst team in NBA history to make the playoffs against one of the best teams put together in many years and turn it into at least a 6 game series... and you don't have more than good things to say?

I really don't understand the sports writers for a lot of this stuff. Maybe it's because they are national. Maybe they don't truly understand what's going on.... OR maybe the team that is creating history has looked so underwhelming on the road that it doesn't seem plausible that they would have any shot at defeating the Celtics.

Whatever the case may be, the Atlanta Hawks have to win one more at home to even start this discussion again.

Here's the Y! Article

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Woodson - Thanks for the Memories | Atlanta Hawks Recap Game 5 in Boston

I settled in excited to watch how the Hawks would perform in Boston after thrilling games in Atlanta. Sure, they look as if they have absolutely no offensive scheme, but their athleticism and enthusiasm more than make up for it and, hey! they learned how to play defense!

What I watched last night was a group a very talented players with absolutely no direction, no sense of urgency, no plan to win the game. Not that they ever had a plan, but to come out not playing defense and not aggressive is just a coaching error.

Early on it was evident, Paul Pierce was going to be aggressive and take some shots, drive the lane and create. Josh Smith, a much more athletic player should have easily matched the intensity and I think the Celtics are still fearful of shooting in the paint, as evidenced by several of their missed shots there.

What is inexcusable outside of our offensive game is the lack of a defensive presence in the paint aside from Josh. I counted well over 12 points of uncontested layups and several more WIDE OPEN shots.

I doubt we would have won the game with the Celtics shooting it lights out like they were, but we could have been closer than that which would have made me feel so much better about a Game 7 should there be one.

One thing that gets me is that I love seeing Law out there out there but wh

It's time the Hawks take a page out of Michael Vick's book and start playing with the Rhythm of the game and stop letting their coaching stagger them.

• Joe Johnson - Be Aggressive! Shooters shoot till they get on fire. Don't let coach pull you with 2 fouls.. you're too important! Just stay aggressive.
• Josh Smith - Be Aggressive! No one can hang with you. Don't settle for jump shots if you aren't feeling it. You did great from the stripe! I'd love to see that every time. You should also be shutting down everything near the paint, period.
• Mike Bibby - Sometimes you just need to pull yourself out of the game. Not sure what the deal is, but make that extra pass.
  
• Marvin Williams - Again, be more aggressive. I have seen at least one play a game where you've shown me why you were drafted so high. One play! Let's see more.
  
• Al Horford - Call for the ball! I'm loving your game.
• Zaza - Not sure what to say, but if you aren't involved, then foul and foul hard.
• Acie Law - Love your energy, stay agressive, you're the scorer that we need.
  
• Josh Childress - WHY AREN'T YOU STARTING? I love the effort, keep it up.
  

Now I'm spent typing this stuff up, I'll be watching Game 6 if anyone has tickets let me know!

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