Bleacher Report - Articles by John Boller

Atlanta Hawks at the Quarter Turn

John Boller — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:45:03 -0500

The Atlanta Hawks have played a quarter of their season and find themselves at 14-6 overall.

This pace has the Hawks on their way to 57 wins, which would be 10 more than last season.

The Hawks are just two games behind the Orlando Magic for the lead in the Eastern Conference’s Southeast Division.

The 14-6 mark after the first 20 games is good for fourth-best in the Eastern Conference, and they have a three-game lead over the fifth-place Miami Heat.

This time last year after 20 games, the Hawks were 12-8 and just 5-7 on the road.

That 5-7 record turned into a dismal 16-25 record on the road overall last year.

Fast-forward to this year, and the Hawks are 6-4 thus far when playing away from Philips Arena.

Head coach Mike Woodson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday that he wants to see the team finish the season at least with an even record on the road.

He also added that he feels satisfied with the team’s performance on the road at the quarter turn.

Atlanta was tested early on the road with a three-game road trip out West at the beginning of November.

It started with an eight-point loss to the Los Angeles Lakers to give the Hawks their first loss of the season.

Atlanta quickly rebounded and won back-to-back games on the road at Portland and at Sacramento.

The Hawks continued to look good on the road in the following week by beating the Knicks at New York, then the Celtics by 11 in Boston.

While Atlanta was holding their own on the road, they were playing flawlessly at the Highlight Factory.

The Hawks won their first seven home games of the season.

Unfortunately, their first loss came on Thanksgiving to division foe Orlando Magic.

However, Atlanta licked their wounds and continued to play exceptional basketball.

The most recent victory on the road against Dallas, showed just how far this time has come on the defensive end since being swept out of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round last year.

They held the Mavericks to just 75 points at the American Airlines Center.

It was the Mavericks’ lowest point total in Dallas since 2006, when they only got 71 points against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Hawks also forced the NBA’s third-best ball-handling team to commit 16 turnovers.

The 75 points is the least amount of points that the Hawks allowed in their first 20 games.

Joe Johnson continues to be the Hawks’ main scoring threat and is averaging 21.5 points per game.

Atlanta’s new addition, Jamal Crawford, is providing the Hawks with a scoring threat off the bench, and his 16.1 points per game is second best on the team.

But the bigger story is the improved play of power forward Josh Smith.

Smith is on pace to set career-highs in five different categories, including leading the NBA in blocks.

His 2.6 blocks per game, 15.5 points per game, 3.6 assists per game, 8.6 rebounds per game, and 53 percent shooting from the field are all better than his career averages.

Smith, now in his sixth year in the NBA, is also hoping to make his first NBA All-Star team and hopes to be named to the NBA’s All-Defensive team at the end of the year.

Al Horford is also becoming a dominant big man in just his third season in the NBA. His 13.6 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game are career-highs for him.

His field-goal and free-throw percentages are also on pace to be career highs.

And just like a true dominant big man, Horford is sixth in the NBA with 10 double-doubles so far.

The Hawks have wanted to take it to the next level over the past few years.

After an unforgettable seven-game first-round series matchup against the Celtics two years ago, Atlanta followed it up with a trip to the second round for the first time in a decade.

After their first 20 games, it looks like the Hawks are continuing to move forward and are proving that the Eastern Conference has more than just three elite teams.

Defense and Joe Johnson Give Atlanta Win Over Mavericks in Dallas

John Boller — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:33:09 -0500

The Atlanta Hawks won in Dallas to snap their five-game loosing streak at American Airlines Center.

The 80-75 over the Mavericks is a great win for the Hawks, who were coming off of their second home loss of the season.

Atlanta (14-6) was led by their All-Star shooting guard Joe Johnson. Johnson dropped 31 points against the Mavericks (14-7).

Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki did everything he could to keep the Mavericks in the game. Their All-Star power forward scored a game-high 32 points, but it wasn’t enough to comeback on the Hawks.

It was defense, defense, and defense that got Atlanta their 14th win of the season. They held the Mavericks to just 37.7 percent from the field, including only 3-for-16 in the final quarter.

The 75 points put up by the Mavericks were their fewest since a 102-74 loss at Cleveland on March 29, 2009. It was the fewest points that Dallas has scored at American Airlines Center since April 19, 2006, when they only got 71 at home against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The win over the Mavericks, gives Atlanta a 2-1 record now in December. However, the Hawks are just 6-4 in their last 10 and trail the Orlando Magic by two games in the Southeast.

The Hawks are the fourth seed in the East and cannot afford to slip up with the “Big Three” in the Eastern Conference rolling.

Orlando, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Boston Celtics have combined for 16 wins in-a-row. The Cavaliers and the Celtics are 8-2 apiece in their last 10 games, while Orlando is 9-1.

Despite missing 20 consecutive field goals in the second quarter, the Hawks led 41-40 at halftime. Besides Nowitzki, Jason Terry was the only other Maverick to score in double figures. He had 17 points.

Both Josh Smith and Al Horford joined Johnson with double-digit points, scoring 12 and 11 points respectively.

Marvin Williams had a career-high in the game for the Hawks, pulling down 15 rebounds to make up for a dismal 1-of-7 from the field. After being dominated on the boards last Sunday against the Detroit Pistons, the Hawks dominated the Mavericks in the paint.

They out-rebounded Dallas 16-7 on the offensive end, leading to a 15-7 advantage in second chance points. Atlanta also forced the Mavericks into making 16 turnovers. The Hawks had just eight.

Atlanta also shot poorly from the field, meaning their defense and tenacity on the boards was the reason for getting the win in Big D.

Johnson’s 13 field goals were two more than the total field goals made by the rest of Atlanta’s starting five. As a team, the Hawks just made 32 field goals; meaning Johnson made 40 percent of Atlanta’s total shots.

He and teammate Zaza Pachulia were the only two Hawks to go perfect from the free-throw line. Johnson was 4-for-4 and Pachulia went 2-for-2.

The Hawks will return home Wednesday to play the Chicago Bulls.

Atlanta Hawks Begin December Following Embarrassing End to November

John Boller — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:35:16 -0500

The Atlanta Hawks begin their December schedule tonight at home against the Toronto Raptors.

The Hawks are coming off their worst stretch of the season after finishing their final four games in November 1-3.

The three losses included Atlanta’s first back-to-back games of the season. The two losses cut the Hawks deep.

The first loss came on the road at the hands of the struggling, injured, and interim head coached New Orleans Hornets.

The losses snapped Atlanta’s seven game win streak, gave Mike Bibby his still sore ankle, and was dominated by Chris Paul’s backup, rookie point guard Darren Collison.

The first year man out of UCLA recorded his first double-double with 22 points and 11 assists.

Atlanta had a chance to redeem itself with a national televised game on Thanksgiving Night against division foe Orlando Magic. Unfortunately, it would be an embarrassing second half.

The Magic surrendered just 25 points to the Hawks in the second half, while coming back from a 51-39 deficit to win 93-76.

The loss gave started their only loosing streak of the season, and ruined the Hawks perfect record at Philips Arena.

The Hawks licked their wounds and rebounded the day after their Thanksgiving debacle, with a 14-point victory against the 76ers at Philadelphia.

However, the bounce back quickly got deflated when they had to go to Detroit last Sunday. It was just a six-point loss to the pistons, but the box score, specifically rebounding, was hard to swallow.

The Pistons out-rebounded Atlanta 53 to 27. Detroit had 24 offensive rebounds to Atlanta’s six.

The Pistons Ben Wallace had 18 boards all by himself. He had 11 offensive boards.

Joe Johnson’s shooting struggles continued with a 5-of-19 showing from the field, including 0-for-5 from the three-point line.

While Johnson was still stuck in neutral, more like reverse, his teammate Josh Smith continued to show how his has matured.

Smith went 11-of-15 from the field and his 23 points led the team, while tying Detroit’s Rodney Stuckey.

He only grabbed seven rebounds, but hey, nobody wearing a Hawk uniform thought it was a good idea to try and get a rebound.

Smith also had a game-high five blocked shots. Atlanta had nine blocked shots in the game.

Smith continues to lead the league in blocked shots, averaging 2.7 blocks per game.

Tip-off for tonight’s game against the Raptors is at 7:00 EST.

Will the Hawks start out December with a win, or will they get their second straight loss at home?

Hawks-Magic: Orlando Embarrasses Atlanta on National Television

John Boller — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:45:03 -0500

The undefeated season at the highlight factory is no more. After seven straight wins at Philips Arena, the Orlando Magic left the Hawks with a bitter taste in their mouths to go with their turkey.

The win pushed the Magic's record to 12-4, earning them a spot alone atop the Eastern Conference, while giving Atlanta its first back-to-back loss of the season.

Leading the Magic to their 93-76 win was All-Star center Dwight Howard. Howard played over 40 minutes in the game and finished with 22 points and 17 rebounds.

Howard’s new buddy, Vince Carter, also proved to be too much for the Hawks in the 17-point loss. Carter finished with 21 points and nine rebounds, shooting just 7-for-18 from the field but connecting on three treys.

As a team, the Magic made 10 three-pointers, three of which came from former Hawk Anthony Johnson.

In its first big test of the season, Atlanta failed miserably. It was a poor shooting night for the Hawks, as they shot 38.8 percent from the field, just 7-of-19 from the three-point line, and an embarrassing 3-for-7 from the foul line, finishing well below the team’s 78.6 percent season average and 23.3 attempts per game.

Joe Johnson finished the night with 22 points and seven boards while Josh Smith had 13 points and 13 rebounds. Both Johnson and Smith played over 40 minutes, but it was not enough to keep the Hawks perfect at home.

Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford each played a little over 31 minutes and scored 10 points apiece. They also shot a combined 8-for-24 from the field.

Marvin Williams did little in his 28 minutes of action while Al Horford was a complete zero on the offensive end. He took only three shots to finish with a season-low two points.

The Hawks, who are off to the one of the best starts in franchise history, had been looking almost unstoppable up until tonight’s debacle.

The 17-point loss is their worst defeat of the season. And to have it come on such a big stage is unnerving.

A loss like this one could lead to a disastrous slide. The Hawks were up by 14 points at one point and had a 12-point, 51-39 lead at halftime. They even held the Magic to just 16 points in the second quarter.

However, in basketball there are two halfs, and the Hawks might as well have stayed in the locker room for the second of them. They scored only 14 points in the third quarter and just 25 points in the entire half.

That’s right, 25 points.

Was Atlanta’s practice squad playing the second half? It sure didn’t look like the team that was 11-3, perfect at home, and one of the NBA’s elite through the earlygoing this year.

It is a long season and there will be games like this where it just isn’t your night. But why did the Hawks have to let it be this game?

Perhaps Atlanta was still thinking about its eight-point loss to the New Orleans Hornets five days earlier.

Judging from the way they played, it looked like the Hawks were waiting to get back in control of the game against the Magic, as if they just expected Orlando to play nice and let them come back and win the game.

Hello? This is the Orlando Magic. The defending Eastern Conference champion, a division rivalry where the winner takes over the top spot in the East.

There is hope, though; Atlanta can rebound quickly following the setback. The Hawks’ next two opponents, the Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons, have combined for 10-straight losses.

Following those two games, the Hawks return home to play the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks, both of which are below .500.

Atlanta still has three games against the Magic this season, but they will have to wait until January for a chance to avenge this Thanksgiving Day Massacre.

Atlanta Hawks Hope to Feast on Turkey and Orlando Magic This Thanksgiving

John Boller — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:30:25 -0500

The last time the Atlanta Hawks played a game on Thanksgiving, President Barack Obama was 34 years old and winning a Grammy for the audio version of his autobiography, “Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance,” according to the president’s biography.

Meanwhile, Atlanta was being led by Steve Smith and Mookie Blaylock.

Now, go ahead and fast-forward 14 years later, President Obama is our 44th President, and the Hawks are tied for the best record in the NBA because of Joe Johnson and Josh Smith.

The Atlanta Hawks (11-3) are a perfect 7-0 at home this season, where the entrée will be the Orlando Magic (11-3) on Thursday night, followed by turkey for the main course, and for dessert, the best record in the NBA.

Could the NBA have planned their Thanksgiving any better?

Two of the three best teams in the league, who also happen to be in the same conference and same division, battle it out on Turkey Day to be the best team in the league.

Good thing it is on TNT, because they know drama, which is exactly what this game will be.

It is the first time that the two teams have played each other all season, and they do not play each other again until Jan. 9.

The Magic won the season series last year 3-1. The Hawks beat Orlando by 14 to open the season last year, but then Orlando won the final three games by an average of 14 points. Their second win over the Hawks last season was a 34-point blowout at Orlando.

Both teams have new looks to their rosters. For the Atlanta Hawks their new key addition is guard Jamal Crawford, while the Magic have brought in Vince Carter.

Crawford is the second-leading scorer for the Hawks with 16.7 points per game and Carter’s 18.7 points per game is good enough to lead the Magic.

Atlanta will have the benefit of playing on five days rest, while the Magic have to host the Miami Heat tonight and then fly out to Atlanta to start a three-game road tip that ends on Sunday at New York.

Advantage Hawks.

Atlanta will have to make sure and not let Carter get off to a fast start. Carter has led the Magic in scoring in four of Orlando’s last six games, including their last three and had a season-high 29 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 11.

The Thanksgiving Day matchup will also feature two of the premiere double-double players in the NBA. The Hawks’ Al Horford is scoring 13.7 points per game and pulling down 10.1 rebounds per game, and Dwight “Superman” Howard is averaging 11.1 rebounds per game to go with 17.4 points.

Howard is also the only Magic player to have played and started in all of Orlando’s 14 games.

The jump ball is at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, so if you are on the East Coast have dinner eaten and the dishes cleaned before then. For you central and West Coast time zones, better find a television set with some wheels.

Teamwork, Josh Smith's Clutch Play Boost Atlanta Hawks to NBA's Best Record

John Boller — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:37:49 -0500

Make it seven wins in a row for the Atlanta Hawks after Friday night’s squeaker past the Houston Rockets at Philips Arena, pushing them to the NBA's best record at 11-2 overall.

The 105-103 win wouldn’t have been possible without the left hand of Josh Smith, though.

Following two free throws from the Rockets’ Carl Landry to tie the game at 103 with just five seconds left in the game, head coach Mike Woodson called a 20-second timeout to draw up a play.

It looked like Woodson had called a play that put the ball in the hands of the Hawks’ go-to-guy, Joe Johnson. However, Houston was ready for the ball to go to Johnson and quickly doubled him.

The double on Johnson left Mike Bibby open for a pretty good look just inside the three-point line at the top of the key. His shot didn’t fall, but it went straight up off the rim, leaving a great opportunity for a tip-in on an Atlanta rebound.

Luckily for the Hawks, there weren’t many red jerseys in position for a rebound while Al Horford and Smith were right there.

It’d be smith who would reach up with that golden left hand of his and finish off coach Woodson’s play. He left just one second on the clock for Houston to try and pull off a miracle shot. But Shane Battier’s full-court heave was intercepted by Johnson and the arena erupted right on cue.

I felt lucky to be there and to have seen such a great team muscle out a win. I was in the last row directly behind the hoop by the Headlines Bar, but the electricity of the moment permeated the whole building.

At first, I was jealous of all those who had been at Philips Arena on Wednesday to watch the Hawks dismantle the Miami Heat. But, after being there last night, I knew that I had just witnessed Atlanta’s best game of the season.

I have never heard a Hawks crowd like the one I heard last night. The fans were up on their feet and cheering the team on after every basket, every blocked shot, every rebound, and every three-pointer nailed. It was a beautiful sight—not just for a basketball fan, but for anyone that loves sports.

It was a total team effort. The Hawks had four players in double-figures, with Marvin Williams leading the team in scoring for the first time this season. His play was simply brilliant.

He also had the game-high with 29 points and led the Hawks with nine rebounds—five offensive and four defensive—and shot 13-of-19 from the field, including 3-of-5 from downtown.

Jamal Crawford led the Hawks with four treys to finish with 21 points in 31 minutes of action. He also had three steals.

Atlanta continues to show it is no fluke and that the Eastern Conference has more than just three championship-caliber teams.

Up next for Atlanta is a trip to New Orleans to play a Hornets team that has won two in a row but is 4-6 over its last 10 and still without All-Star point guard Chris Paul.

Following the trip to New Orleans, the Hawks are off until a Thanksgiving Day showdown against the Orlando Magic in Atlanta. The Hawks currently have a one-game lead on the Magic (10-3) in the Eastern Conference’s Southeast Division.

Nothing like watching a Southeast rivalry while eating your turkey.

Can Atlanta Hawks Give Dwayne Wade and Miami Heat Back-to-Back Losses?

John Boller — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:45:00 -0500

The Atlanta Hawks can do something tonight that the Washington Wizards and New Jersey Nets failed to do; give the Miami Heat back-to-back losses.

With their 13-point loss at home last night to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Heat (7-3) dropped from 2^nd overall in the Eastern Conference and in the Southeast Division.

The Atlanta Hawks (9-2) have a one game lead on the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Orlando Magic for the top spot in the East. A win against the Heat would give the Hawks a 2.5 game lead over the Heat.

Even though the Heat have yet to give up back-to-back losses this season, the Hawks still have a good shot at becoming the first team to do so.

After loosing to the Phoenix Suns by eight points on November 3rd, the Heat just barely got past the Wizards the following night 93-89. A little over a week later, the Cavaliers came to Miami and won 111-104. Two days later, the New Jersey Nets turned up the heat on Miami and came within one point of getting their first win of the season and giving Miami their first back-to-back loss.

The Heat, however, have not lost a road game this season. Of course, they have only played two away games so far. Their first road win of the season came in just their second game, a 13-point victory over the Indiana Pacers. Their second win on the road was their four-point win over Washington after suffering the first loss of the season to the Suns.

Another positive note for the Hawks, they are 5-0 at home this season where they are averaging 113 points per game and winning by an average of 14.8 points per game.

In the Heat’s game last night against the Thunder, Dwayne Wade shot just 6-for-19 from the field, including 1-of-4 from the 3-point land. As a team, the Heat shot just 5-of-18 from downtown and only 20-of-30 from the charity stripe. They also committed 15 turnovers.

The Heat had trouble containing Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant. Durant finished with 32 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in 39 minutes of action. He shot 11-of-23 from the field, but was money from the free-throw line. He went 9 for 9 to lead the Thunder who shot 21-of-22 from the foul line.

Johnson and the Hawks are coming off a four point victory at home against the Portland Trailblazers, getting the season series-sweep.

It’s a good sign that the Heat could not contain Durant, especially since Johnson is coming off a huge 35-point (18 in the fourth quarter and overtime) night. However, these two teams are division rivals, so the Heat probably knows how to guard Johnson better than Portland did.

Johnson is not the only Hawk who is coming off of a big game. Josh Smith finished with 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting and pulled down 16 rebounds. The Trailblazers just had eight offensive rebounds in the game.

Tonight’s game should add another exciting chapter to this is Southeast Division rivalry. Even if the Hawks were to lose, they would still share a tie for the top spot in the East.

Orlando will host the Thunder tonight, Cleveland plays at Washington, and the Golden State Warriors play the Celtics in Boston.

Atlanta Hawks Top spot in Eastern Conference and NBA's power rankings

John Boller — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:26:30 -0500

The NBA.com has released their Week Three power rankings and guess who is number one? The Atlanta Hawks.

It is the first time in the eight year history of NBA.com’s power rankings that Atlanta has topped the list.

After holding off the Portland Trailblazers last night in overtime, the Hawks are now 9-2 on the season and lead the Eastern Conference by one game over the Miami Heat.

Joe Johnson continues to be the franchise player after coming up huge in last night’s win at Philips Arena. He had 18 of his game-high 35 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, while Atlanta got the season-sweep over Portland 99-95.

Josh Smith added 20 points of his own to go with 16 rebounds, and a fifth straight win for the Hawks.

The Hawks moved into the Eastern Conference’s top spot after the Boston Celtics dropped two-in-a-row. Atlanta is tied with the Phoenix Suns for the best record in the entire league.

The Hawks have two more home games this week, including a huge matchup on Wednesday night.

The win over the Trailblazers has set up an Eastern Conference showdown between the Hawks and Heat on Wednesday at the Highlight Factory.

The Hawks and Heat (7-2) are the top two teams in the East, and have developed a strong rivalry after last year’s exciting seven-game first round playoff matchup.

The Hawks also have another test on Friday night when the Houston Rockets come to town. The Rockets are no push-over, after they beat the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center by double digits last night.

However, the Hawks do have a noticeable advantage at home. They are 4-0 in Atlanta this season and are winning by an average of 17.5 points per contest, according to the Hawks’ website.

The Hawks are proving that there are more than just three elite teams in the Eastern Conference. The Miami Heat also has something to say about that as both teams are having terrific starts.

Johnson also had nine assists to go with his 35 points, and Al Horford continues to the Hawks’ double-double man, finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Atlanta was in comeback mode last night, trailing the Blazers 67-58 to start the fourth quarter. Johnson scored 10 points in the fourth quarter—two 3-pointers and hit a pair of clutch free throws with just 4.1 seconds to give Atlanta an 85-82 lead. Portland’s Rudy Fernandez drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send the game into overtime.

Johnson added eight more points in the overtime, and it was Jamal Crawford who made two clutch free throws in the extra frame, to put the nail-in-the-coffin with 7.9 seconds left in the game.

Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Jamal Crawford make All-Star Ballot for Atlanta Hawks

John Boller — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:37:58 -0500

At nine games into their season, the Atlanta Hawks are sitting pretty with a 7-2 record, good for second place in the Eastern Conference Last night the Hawks defeated Eastern Conference rival Boston Celtics, giving the Celtics just their second loss of the season. The victory moved the Hawks past the Miami Heat for second place in the Eastern Conference. The 7-2 record is tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the third best record in the NBA. The Hawks are a team that has made the playoffs the last two seasons, getting into the second round last year. The Hawks hope to continue this trend and make it their third straight trip to the postseason. Where is their success coming from? You can find it in the combined efforts of five players. Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Al Horford, Josh Smith, and Jamal Crawford are giving the Hawks exceptional play. I’m not the only one to notice. The NBA has rewarded these players for leading their team to such a hot start. All five can be found on the All-Star ballot that the NBA released last week. Besides Johnson, the other four players have never made an All-Star Team. Bibby, Smith, and Horford have participated in the NBA’s All-Star weekend Rookie vs. Sophomore game, and Smith won the NBA’s dunk contest in 2005. Horford continues to improve each season since being drafted as the third overall pick in the 2007 draft by the Hawks. In his rookie campaign he played on the Rookie Team in the 2008 Rookie vs. Sophomore game, and played in it again as a sophomore back in February. His 13.5 points per game after eight games is seventh best in the East among centers. He is also eighth in rebounds for Eastern Conference centers, pulling down 10.5 a game. Horford is also getting 2.25 blocks per game. This is good for a three-way tie for fifth best in the NBA. For Horford, his scoring and rebounding among his peers in the East is not where it needs to be. But, Horford is no doubt proving that he can compete with the best centers in the league. He has had five double-doubles, which is only one behind the NBA’s top centers, Andrew Bynum of the Lakers, and Dwight Howard for the Orlando Magic, to lead the NBA. He is a key player for the Hawks on the offensive and defensive end, without Horfod the Hawks have no other player who averages a double-double. And sometimes numbers alone are not the only thing voters take into account when making their selections. If you are a guy who consistently brings it for his time every night, voters notice that, and can give the player a nice reward with a check, or punch-out next to their name.

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TCU Vs. Utah: Can Two Freshman Halt No. 4 TCU's Crash

John Boller — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:36:08 -0500

There will be many eyes looking at Fort Worth, TX on Saturday.

Earlier this week, College Gameday announced that they will broadcast their Saturday pregame show live from the Campus Commons at Texas Christian University.

The (9-0, 5-0) Horned Frogs of TCU have their biggest game of the season and perhaps the biggest game in their school’s history.

With only three games left in the regular season, TCU continues to get closer and closer to being a BCS crasher.

Standing in their way is the last ranked team that TCU has left on their schedule, the No. 16 Utah Utes (8-1, 5-0).

After relieving Terrance Cain against Wyoming three weeks ago, Utah’s true freshman quarterback Jordan Wynn will remain the starter in the team’s biggest game of the season.

In his first start for the Utes last week, he led the team to a blowout 45-14 win against New Mexico. He finished 18-of-28 with 297 yards and two touchdowns.

Wynn is not the only freshman that Utah will have a significant offensive role against the Horned Frogs. Lining up behind Wynn in the backfield will be a redshirt freshman running back, Sausan Shakerin.

Shakerin had his best game of the season last week against the Lobos. He had 16 carries for 100 yards and one touchdown. Shakerin also had three catches for 34 yards and a score.

Shakerin will have some help in the backfield. Junior running back Eddie Wide will be Utah’s featured back. The junior Wide is coming off his best game of the year last week against New Mexico. He had 145 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns. For Wide, it was his sixth consecutive 100-yard game, good enough to set a school-record.

However, it will not be easy against an outstanding TCU defense. The Horned Frog defense has giving up only 25 points in their last four games. Teams are only averaging three yards per rush attempt against the Frogs, and they have only given up three rushing touchdowns all season.

The TCU defense is only behind Texas and Florida in yards allowed per game with 240.6, and surrenders just 11.2 points per game, putting them in the top four among all FBS teams. TCU is also in the top four having giving up only 1,358 passing yards all season. Needless to say, it will be a tall order for Wynn and the Utes, especially since the game is in Fort Worth.

The Horned Frogs will hope to extend their 12-game home winning streak to a baker’s dozen on Saturday. It’s a streak that began after Utah defeated the Frogs in Fort Worth 27-20 on Oct. 18, 2007.

The matchup between these two teams has become a good rivalry in the Mountain West Conference. It was last year that the shoe was on the other foot and the Horned Frogs were trying to derail the Utes’ shot at crashing the BCS. Utah went on to win 13-10 on a game-winning touchdown with only 48 seconds left in the game.

Utah has won six straight since loosing 31-24 to the Oregon Ducks on Sept. 19, holding their opponents under 20 points during their win streak.

A win by Utah not only would derail TCU’s BCS train, but it would also tie them with TCU for the best record in the Mountain West Conference. Then, if Utah wins their remaining games, they would win the tie-breaker with the Horned Frogs and be champions of the Mountain West for the second straight season.

Will history repeat itself in this rivalry? Will the home team win and push the Frogs that much closer to securing a BCS berth? Or will a true freshman find a way to lead Utah to another Mountain West Conference championship? All I know is that it should be a great game.

(Sources: ESPN Utah vs. TCU Preview, Rivals.com)

Josh Smith Takes His Turn Leading the Atlanta Hawks to Victory

John Boller — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:03:54 -0500

One day removed from suffering their worst loss of the season, the Atlanta Hawks were at home last night against the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets (5-2), like the Hawks, also came to Atlanta following a loss, their first of the season.

For the Nuggets, last night’s game was the second of their four-game road trip before they return home to play the Los Angeles Lakers next Friday.

The Hawks (5-2) continue to play inspired basketball at home. They are now 3-0 in Atlanta after handing the Nuggets their second straight loss.

Their 125-100 win is Atlanta’s biggest of the season, a season-high in scoring, and they finished tied with a season-high 30 assists.

A win like this means more than just a gain in the win column. Following a blowout loss to division foe Charlotte Bobcats, a big win against an elite NBA team gives the team back confidence and morale lost.

Jamal Crawford continues to have success in Atlanta’s system, scoring his third 20+ point game of the season. He also had four assists and finished a perfect 8-of-8 in free throws.

Again, the Atlanta Hawks are getting it done at the free-throw line. They finished 27-of-30, the team’s second time to shoot at least 90% from the charity stripe.

The Hawks five wins and two losses can be told at the free-throw line. In their five wins, the Hawks have won by an average of 12 points, and shot .827 from the foul line. In their two losses, the Hawks shot only .768 at the foul line.

While Crawford did lead the team in scoring, it was Josh Smith’s night. Smith, who is hoping to be selected to his first NBA All-Star team this season, had an All-Star caliber night.

He was 8-of-10 from the field and 6-of-8 from the foul line to finish with 22 points. He also had nine rebounds- seven defensive- seven assists, and six blocked shots in 35 minutes.

For the first time this season, Crawford led the team in minutes played with 37:49 of action. Mike Bibby played in just 20 minutes, and rookie point guard Jeff Teague played 16, his third highest total this season. His game-high in minutes played so far was during their blowout loss to the Bobcats. Teague played in 20 minutes.

All five Hawks starters scored double figures. Al Horford finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.

Atlanta will have a chance to rest up until Wednesday when they play the Knicks at New York.

Joe Johnson Tells Atlanta Hawks: Somebody's Rocking the Boat

John Boller — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:30:53 -0500

Sure, it is never fun to lose by 20 points, especially against a division opponent.

But, when the team is 4-1, and you are coming back from your first West Coast road trip of the season, a loss like this is a trap wait waiting to happen.

Unfortunately, the Hawks did fall into the trip, and they did get blown out by 20 against the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night.

They are still 4-2 and are averaging 103.8 points a contest, good for seventh in the NBA.

So, why is Joe Johnson complaining?

“I don’t know when we all of a sudden just really became a selfish team,” Johnson said. “Now everybody wants to go one-on-one. It’s me, me, me. It’s crazy, man.”

“Everybody who touches it wants to score,” Johnson said. “I really think guys on this team don’t know their roles, so it’s killing us. And it’s going to continue to kill us.”

I’m sorry; I was unaware that a 4-2 record meant the team is “killing” itself, especially since one of the two losses came after your first road trip.

They have only played six games and have had just one road trip. At this point in the season, can you really pinpoint, or even know what is “killing” your team.

I wish that Johnson had said just who exactly does not know their “role.”

Since he was mostly referring to scoring, and he, Josh Smith, and Jamal Crawford, took 39 of the team’s 83 total shots, I will go ahead and assume he is talking about them, or at least one of them.

Since Crawford is the new kid on the block, I will also assume that Crawford might be the one “killing” the team.

Crawford is in his first year with a group that has been together for at least two seasons. The Hawks are used to point guard Mike Bibby.

Bibby is what most knowledgeable basketball enthusiast would call a true point guard. Basically, he wants to pass before he shoots.

Crawford on the other hand, is pretty much the exact opposite of Bibby. Unlike Bibby, Crawford could also play the shooting guard position because he has all-around scoring ability.

He can shoot from the outside, is able to take the ball to the basket, draw contact and get to the foul line.

He can also play the shooting guard position, Johnson’s position, while he is point guard, and while they (Johnson and Crawford) are on the court at the same time.

In Atlanta’s two losses, Crawford is a combined 11-of-28 from the field, 0-of-9 from the three, and just one assist.

In their first loss of the season at Los Angeles, Johnson had a standout game. He finished with 27 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Johnson and Bibby each went 3-of-6 from three, Crawford took five 3’s, and made zero.

He also took 14 shoots; two behind Johnson, and four more than Bibby, playing in almost seven minutes longer than Bibby.

In their four wins, the script has been played a little bit differently.

Their first game of the season, Crawford only played 11 minutes and took just three shots. His season began the next game, at home against the Washington Wizards.

In Crawford’s true debut with the Hawks, Atlanta shot a dismal .410 from the field, and 5-of-20 from the 3-pointer.

However, Crawford and Johnson went a combined 12-of-13 from the free-throw line, and the team shot an almost perfect 31-of-34 from the foul line. The Wizards only shot 22 free throws, making 14.

The free-throw line is where the Hawks got their 100-89 win over Washington.

The Hawks then went on their three-game road trip that began with an eight-point loss the Lakers. Fortunately, the Hawks got over their first loss and got ready for their next game at Portland.

It was Crawford’s night in the 97-91 win. The Hawks trailed by 10 points after the first quarter, and Johnson had a cold start.

Crawford came off the bench and ignited the Atlanta offense with 17 first half points. He would get a game-high 27 points, and seven assists. He shot .500 from the field, hit two 3’s, and went 9-of-9 from the foul line.

Bibby had a poor shooting night, going 3-of-10 from the field, 1-of-4 from long range. He and Crawford each played 34 minutes.

Johnson got his shot back in time for the second half and finished with 19 points.

After being a major catalyst for the victory over the Trailblazers, Crawford took the same effort with him to Sacramento; the final game of the road trip.

Crawford and Johnson’s 26 points tied for the team-high, while Crawford and Bibby played in 34 minutes each for the second straight game. And again, Crawford was up and Bibby was down, but a little bit better.

Bibby shot better against the Kings, but didn’t too much for his teammates with only two assists.

Crawford played well again for Atlanta. He scored 26 points and took only 15 shots. Johnson needed 22 shots to get his 26.

It was a close game and Atlanta walked away with just an eight-point victory; and the difference this time, shooting. The Hawks made more than half of their field goals, and the Kings shot a sub-par .417.

So, with the evidence given, what is the verdict? What is “killing” the Hawks?

I don’t think anything is “killing” the Hawks. I do think the addition of Crawford’s style of point guard is tampering with the offensive game-plan a little, but because Crawford is a veteran, and since the team has playoff experience, I am confident that both sides will be fitting nicely together down the road.

It will take some time, but with 76 games left, time is on the Hawks’ side.

Should Jamal Crawford Start Over Mike Bibby?

John Boller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:41:43 -0500

With his second straight game of scoring in the upper twenties in back-to-back nights, Jamal Crawford has put the Atlanta Hawks at 4-1; good for a tie with the Miami Heat for second place in the Eastern Conference’s Southeast division.

After leading the team in points scored with 27 and seven assists against the Blazers on Tuesday, his 26 points last night against the Sacramento Kings tied for the team-high with Joe Johnson.

In Atlanta’s five games this season, Crawford has outplayed the Hawks’ starting point guard Mike Bibby, except for the first and third games of the season. Currently, Crawford has outscored, outshot, and is running the offense better than Bibby during the Hawks three-game road trip. Crawford is averaging four assists a game and Bibby is getting just 2.6.

Crawford played more minutes than Bibby did in two of three West Coast games for the Hawks, who went 2-1; their only loss was an eight-point defeat at the hands of the defending champions. In this game, Crawford had his worst shooting night. He went 6-of-14 from the field and was 0-for-5 from the three-pointer.

However, in the Hawks’ next two games, Crawford got over his bad shooting night and emerged as Atlanta’s player of the game in both, while Bibby disappeared.

In the next two games, Crawford went a combined 18-of-31, including 5-of-9 from the three-pointer, and a near perfect 12-of-13 from the foul line. In the game against Portland, he and Bibby each played 34 minutes, and Crawford finished with his best game as a Hawk.

Bibby went just 3-of-10 from the field and had just five assists against the Trailblazers. Last night against the Kings, Bibby continued to struggle from the field, but did knock down two three-pointers; however, he finished with just two assists.

Crawford actually played 50 more seconds than Bibby did last night. After having his best game as a Hawk, Crawford went right back to work only to have an even better game.

Crawford finished tied with Johnson for the team-high in points and led the team with four assists. He also had the game’s highest shooting percentage, knocking down 10-of-15, and had a game-high three makes from downtown.

Crawford only has two years less experience in the NBA than Bibby, and if anyone was going to replace Bibby as the leader of the Hawks, he definitely appears to be the ideal candidate.

The Hawks still have 77 games left to go. I mean, November just got here. So, predicting how the team will play with Crawford getting the start over Bibby is hard to do at this point.

But, one thing is clear; Crawford seems pretty comfortable playing with the Atlanta Hawks. If he keeps continuing to give the Hawks and Johnson another scorer, his minutes will continue to equal or exceed Bibby’s.

Also, in Atlanta’s five games, they have only led after the first quarter twice. They were down by 10 points after the first quarter against Portland, before Crawford came in and put some life into the Hawks’ offense.

Ondrej Pavelec and the Thrashers Start a New Win Streak

John Boller — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:55:43 -0500

The Atlanta Thrashers are perfect for the month of the November. as they start out witha two-game winning streak—tying their best winning streak for the third time this season.

The win is hopefully a sign of good things to come after the fast start in October got slowed down the last two weeks.

It was an overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens that knocked the Thrashers off their high-horse and led to a nosedive by dropping their next three games. To add salt to the wound, all three games were at home.

So, last night’s 5-4 win against Montreal (7-8-0) feels so good, and to make it feel great, the win snapped the Canadiens 5-game winning streak.

It also gave the Thrashers (6-4-1) their first victory in regulation at the Bell Centre in over five years.

For the third time in 11 games this season, the Thrashers ended the opening period with a 2-0 lead. The last time they led 2-0 after the first period was a 4-2 win against the New Jersey Devils in the fourth game of the season.

The Thrashers got outshot 38-30, but made sure to make their 30 count.

For the Thrashers, their new star goalie Ondrej Pavelec, continues to be Atlanta’s leader with captain Ilya Kovalchuk still on the bench with a broken right foot. He stopped 34 of the Canadiens 38 shots, including 11-of-13 in the third to keep the Thrashers from giving up the game.

Montreal’s Brian Gionta scored his second goal of the night to tie the game at three early in the third period.

This was one of two quick scores that the Canadiens got past Pavelec. With only 37 seconds left in the second period, Mike Cammalleri scored a goal to jump-start the Canadiens comeback.

Just a few minutes later, Pavel Kubina scored on a power play wrist shot to put the Thrashers ahead again 4-3. It was also Rich Peverley’s third point of the night. It was his second of two assists-with one goal scored in the first period. Peverley remains the teams scoring leader with 16 points now on the season.

Montreal didn’t want to see their comeback go to waste and Tomas Plekanec brought the game to its second tie with a wrist shot at the 12:40 mark.

Less than a minute later, the Thrashers Colby Armstrong got the game-winner, a wrist shot for his second goal of the season.

After Armstrong’s goal, Montreal had just six shots, only three were on goal.

The win moves the Thrashers within one point of tying the Tampa Bay Lightning for second place in the Southeast Division.

Their next game is tomorrow night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Welcome to the Atlanta Hawks, Jamal Crawford

John Boller — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:45:37 -0500

The Atlanta Hawks draw even on their West Coast road trip after holding off the Trailblazers in Portland last night 97-91.

The win came in large part to the play of Atlanta’s new reserve point guard, Jamal Crawford. Crawford helped spark a Hawks team that had a 10-point deficit after the first period.

Crawford’s 17 points in the first half put the Hawks back in the game trailing 48-47 at halftime. His strong play continued over to the second half and he finished with a game-high 27 points and team-high seven assists in his best game as a Hawk.

Crawford went 9-for-9 from the charity stripe, to go with his 8-for-16 from the field. He also went 2-for-4 from the three-point line, knocking down both three's in the first half; the Hawks only made five in the entire game.

Crawford’s play off the bench was essential as the Hawks’ main scoring threat, Joe Johnson, got off to a slow start at the Rose Garden.

Johnson did finish as the Hawks’ second leading scorer with 19 points, but was only 1-for-9 with two points and two turnovers after the first two quarters. His only basket of the half was a jump shot with 39 seconds left in the first.

The Hawks’ Zaza Pachulia also played well coming off the bench for Atlanta. He finished with 12 points in just under 14 minutes of action. He, like Crawford, was also perfect from the free-throw line.

Much like their second game of the season against the Wizards, the free throws were critical.

The Hawks (3-1) went 18-for-22 from the line while the Blazers went 13-of-18 from the line. In a six-point victory, an extra five-point advantage from the free throw line could mean the difference between a win and a loss.

The Hawks held Portland to just .424 field goal percentage, holding them to only .286 from downtown, on their way to outscoring the Trailblazers 50-43 in the second half.

After struggling heavily to get himself going, Johnson must have used some smelling salt to wake himself up because he came out on all cylinders to start the third by drilling his first two shots. He ended up shooting 5-for-6 in the third, bringing his point total up to 12 and a 72-69 Atlanta lead.

He only took four shots in the final period, but again made three, including his only 3-pointer of the night with a 1:53 left to give the Hawks a 91-87 lead.

Crawford only had 10 points in the second half, but did have six of his seven assists.

He and starting point guard Mike Bibby played 34 minutes each to finish with a combined effort of 34 points and 12 assists.

This is great news for the Hawks who appear to have solid play at the point guard position with the combination of Bibby and Crawford. In an 82-game season, the more players you have to help control the team, the easier it is to stay consistent.

Having two players who can both create for themselves and others will keep the Hawks’ offensive pace no matter which rotation is on the floor.

For the third time in Atlanta’s first four games, Al Horford finished with a double-double, pulling down 13 rebounds—11 defensive—and scoring 11 points.

For the Hawks they finish up their three-game road trip out West against the Sacramento Kings tonight, and then return to the East Coast for a matchup on Friday against the Charlotte Bobcats.

Their next home game will be on Saturday playing host to the Denver Nuggets.

Ondrej Pavelec the New Leader of the Atlanta Thrashers

John Boller — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:57:19 -0500

With his 4-3-1 record thus far, Atlanta Thrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec is already having his best in his career with the team; and to throw in a little something on top of that, a .925 save percentage and a 2.66 GAA. His save percentage is good for fifth best after last weekend’s games.

With numbers like these, Pavelec is on pace to set new franchise goaltending records.

Pavelec and the Thrashers hit an early roadblock after starting out a franchise best 4-1-1. Following a shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on October 20th, the Thrashers lost three more games, including two against the division rival Washington Capitals.

All of their losses were only by one goal, with all fingers being pointed at the defense, specifically the goaltending.

It started with the first of two losses to the Capitals. It ended up being Pavelec’s worst game of the season. He gave up a total of five goals and was pulled at the 11:48 mark of the second period. He gave up three goals in 90 seconds, including a 90-plus-foot shot that bounced under his glove and through his legs.

Despite being down 5-2 at the beginning of the third period, the Thrashers continued to fight and got within one goal before the Capitals closed the door, making Pavelec’s blunder much more painful.

After the loss to the Capitals, Pavelec did not get the start in the Thrashers' next game against the San Jose Sharks. But, he did see action, as the Thrashers would replace the starting goalie for the second straight game. Johan Hedberg gave up four goals on 12 shots in only 29:19.

Pavelec stepped in and showed no signs of still thinking about his performance against Washington. He stopped all 12 shots that he faced, but the Thrashers fell short of their comeback, losing 3-4.

To make things worse, Atlanta’s captain, Ilya Kovalchuk, had to leave the game early following a puck striking his right foot. Later, the Thrashers would learn that their star was going to miss at four least weeks with a broken bone in his right foot.

Next, it would be the Capitals for their second squeaker past Atlanta. Pavelec played the entire game this time and did so exceptionally. He stopped 28 of 31 shots. However, the Thrashers offense did not come to life until the third period, and the Capitals' Alex Ovechkin had two goals, both in the opening period.

The Thrashers trailed 3-0 at the start of the final period and another comeback would go too little too late. They did score two goals in the period’s first 2:23, but the Capitals' defense quickly rebounded and fought off another Thrashers comeback before getting an empty netter with less than a minute to go for the nail-in-the-coffin. Atlanta’s Zach Bogosian scored on a backhand as time expired for a 4-3 final score.

Despite the four-game loosing streak, two losses to a division foe, and the loss of their captain for four weeks, the Thrashers bounced back with an impressive 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Halloween. Not only did the Thrashers put an end to their losing streak, they also got revenge on the team that gave them their first loss of the season.

Pavelec went nearly perfect on his way to setting a new career high with 50 saves on 51 shots. It comes as no surprise for Pavelec to have had such a night; since the Capitals game in which he got pulled, the 22-year-old has saved 90 of 94 shots, good for a .957 save percentage.

The Thrashers can, yet again, get revenge on one of their four defeats this season; they play Montreal tonight, who started their four-game losing streak after beating Atlanta in a shootout.

NBA Offseason 2010: Where D-Wade, LeBron and Joe Johnson Could Go

John Boller — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:46:36 -0500

I know that it is only the first week of the 2009-2010 season and the Hawks still have 80 games to go, but with the best free agent pool of this century only one year away, it is just way too hard not to talk about it.

Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and Dirk Nowitzki are just the tip the free-agent iceberg. Another player on that upcoming free agent list, and perhaps just as valuable, is Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson.

Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks are entering their fifth season together, having made huge strides in the first four. It began after a blockbuster trade in 2005, when Johnson was sent from the Phoenix Suns to the Hawks.

Johnson got to work right away, and quickly asserted himself as a premiere player in the league. He recorded four 40+ point games, while leading the team in both scoring, averaging 20.2 points a game, and assists, dishing out 6.5 per outing. He also set a franchise record for minutes played with 3,340.

However, in the 2005-06 campaign, the Hawks finished 26-56, good for fourth in the Southeast Division. They gave up the fourth most points per game with 102, and were ranked 29th out of 30 teams in attendance.

With a new head coach in Mike Woodson and a new franchise player in Johnson, that season was a rebuilding one, with the hope of a bright future.

In 2006-07, the Hawks were the youngest team in the NBA. Although the young core was beginning to gain experience together, the season was all about injuries. Seven of Atlanta’s top players missed at least 20 or more games that year. For the first time in Johnson’s six-year career he was placed on the injured list where he missed 25 games.

He still had a special season. His 25 points per game put Johnson among the top-ten scoring leaders for the season, and he earned a spot on the NBA All-Star Team; the first Hawk to do so since 2002.

The injuries though were too much for the Hawks to overcome and they finished the season at 30-52. There was some good news. For the third straight season, Atlanta saw their win total increase and all of their top players (Johnson, Josh Smith, Josh Childress, Marvin Williams, and Zaza Pachulia) reached career-highs in scoring average.

In the past two seasons with Woodson still guiding the ship, Johnson and the Hawks continued making positive strides. In 2007-2008, the Hawks had a 37-45 record as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, returning to the playoffs for the first time since the 1998-99 season.

The Hawks got eliminated in the first round, but it was one of the best first round series in NBA history. Atlanta put that year’s eventual NBA Champion, the Boston Celtics, through a seven-game war. No team could win on the other one’s floor. But, the 2006-07 clock for the Hawks would strike midnight and the Celtics won the final battle in blowout fashion 99-65.

Last season was the best season under Woodson's tenure. A 47-35 record was the first time the team finished the season above .500 in a decade. As fate would have it, the Hawks would also bring an end to the franchise’s 10-year drought from the second round of the NBA playoffs. The 47 wins were the most for the Hawks since 1997 when they went 50-32.

During his four years with the Hawks, Johnson has averaged 21.9 points per game, 5.6 assists per game, and 4.9 rebounds per game. He has also shot .448 from the field, .369 from three-point range, and has played in at least 79 games each year except for the previously mentioned '06-'07 campaign.

Before the season started, the Atlanta Hawks offered Johnson, who is 28, a four-year, $60 million-plus offer. However, Johnson turned it down this summer, setting himself up to be a part of an elite free-agent pool at the end of this season.

Johnson did say that it was not because he wants to leave Atlanta at the end of the season, but that his sole focus was on the team and this season at training camp. He also added that he liked that the Hawks resigned Marvin Williams, Mike Bibby, and Pachulia in the offseason.

The Hawks do have a great young nucleus that includes Johnson, Smith, Al Horford, Williams, and veteran Mike Bibby directing the show. Every year since Johnson arrived the Hawks continued to improve.

Because Johnson didn’t re-sign with the team over the summer, the Hawks will also have a chance to test out next year’s first agent pool.

The biggest one in that pool is obviously “King” James, and I think it is safe to say that becoming an Atlanta Hawk is not on the King’s future throne list. I am not concerned with James anyways. There is a much better player that would fit nicely with Atlanta’s young core—Dwayne Wade.

With the help of Shaquille O’Neal in his third season, Wade brought the first NBA Championship to the city of Miami in 2006. However, O’Neal would go to the Suns the following season, and the Heat were getting ready for rebuilding. They did return to the playoffs next year, but were ousted in the first round. In the 2007-2008 season, the Heat only won 15 games and last year they lost to Atlanta in the first round.

Despite the Heat moving backwards, Wade has personally continued taking his game to the next level.

Much like Atlanta, Miami has also invested in trying to rebuild with a young core around a star player. Wade, who turns 28 next January, has seen team president Pat Riley do everything he can to acquire young talent while clearing up cap space to add more elite players to make the Heat a contender in order to convince his All-Star to stay.

With point guard Mario Chalmers, three-point shootout champion Daequan Cook, and power forward Michael Beasley, the Heat hope this is the start of helping Wade get them back to the promised land.

In the Heat’s game at New York during the NBA’s first week of the regular season, reporters couldn’t help remind Wade of his soon to be expired contract. He quickly switched the focus to this season, but did give reporters a nice bit of information. He doesn’t want to play where there is cold weather.

That is great news to those here down in Hotlanta. Imagine, Wade joining up with Horford, Williams, Smith, and another veteran in Bibby. Wade has already proven, with a little bit of help, he can put a team on his back and carry it all the way to the title.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Johnson. He has made the Hawks relevant in Atlanta and in the NBA after some dreadful years. But, he is not Dwayne Wade.

After Johnson, Wade is a perfect match for the Atlanta Hawks. Although they are very good, based on the current roster the Hawks have, future free agents like Chris Bosh and Dirk Nowitzki would not make sense for the Hawks.

D-Wade on the other hand would make sense, especially if Johnson did decide to leave.

Josh Smith reaches 900 career blocks in a Hawks win over the Wizards

John Boller — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:45:27 -0400

On Friday night at Philips Arena in Atlanta Georgia, Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith made NBA history.

With 4:26 remaining in the game, the 23-year-old rejected a shot attempted by Washington Wizards point guard Gilbert Arenas.

In his sixth season in the NBA, all played with Atlanta who took Smith as the 17^th overall pick in the 2004 draft, he became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 900 career blocks. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Shaquille O’Neal was the reigning youngest block king who got to 900 when he was 24 years old.

Smith started the play and ended the play. His block led to an Atlanta fast break that was finished with an alley-oop pass from point Mike Bibby that he slammed down with a left-handed dunk.

The Hawks as a team played much better defensively than they did in the opener against the Indiana Pacers

Atlanta had a 58-44 lead after the first 24 minutes of action. A huge disparity in free throws helped give the Hawks a comfortable lead going into the locker room. Atlanta had 19 free-throw attempts and made 17, while the Wizards had just six attempts and only made three.

And free throws were definitely the difference in the 100-89 victory over the Wizards. The Hawks were almost perfect from the line going 31 of 34. The Wizards went 14 of 22.

“They got to the free throw line,” Gilbert Arenas said. “That’s where the game was won.”

It was a great sign to see the Hawks defense respond and step up to the challenge after letting Indiana score at will during the opener’s first three quarters.

The Hawks had seven blocks to go with five steals. They also out-rebounded Washington 47 to 40.

Smith also had a team-high 20 points and eight rebounds. Al Horford made got 10 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocked shots. He is now two-for-two on the season in finishing with a double-double.

Both Bibby and shooting guard Joe Johnson had poor shooting nights, going a combined 8 of 25 from the field, including 0-for-6 from beyond the arc.

Jamal Crawford stepped in nicely for the Hawks off of the bench with 16 points to lead all bench players. The Hawks bench outscored the Wizards bench 37-31.

Hawks-Pacers: Defense Was Not the Key for Joe Johnson, Al Horford, and Atlanta

John Boller — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:55:53 -0400

It took the Atlanta Hawks three quarters until their defense finally showed up. Once they did, the Indiana Pacers offense went out the door giving the Hawks a 120-109 opening night win.

The Pacers and the Atlanta Hawks were at triple digits with nine minutes still left to play. However, Indiana would only score one point during the next six minutes, while the Hawks rolled off 10 unanswered points. Finally, Danny Granger ended the draught, hitting one of two free throws.

Granger had a game-high 31 points, but only had nine points in the second half. New teammate Earl Watson’s three-pointer with 9:04 left in the fourth gave Indiana their first lead of the quarter 101-100.

The Hawks’ point guard, Mike Bibby, quickly regained the lead for Atlanta on a three of his own. Bibby scored two straight baskets for Atlanta followed up by a thunderous slam by Horford.

During Atlanta’s 10-0, run the Pacers had seven possessions; three went for turnovers, three missed shots, and then Granger made the second of two free throws.

The Pacers had a total of 25 turnovers in the game, leading to 35 points for the Hawks.

The Pacers did trim the down lead to single digits with three minutes still on the clock. Granger nailed a three-pointer to cut it to 112-105, but Bibby answered again with a dagger three-pointer and got Atlanta their double-digit lead back.

Atlanta added five straight after that before Indiana picked up two meaningless baskets with under: 10 left in regulation.

All five of Atlanta’s starter scored double-digits. Bibby was the last one to get there after his three-pointer following Granger’s gave him 10 points. Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 25 points, while Al Horford got 24 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks, as the game’s MVP.

Forwards Josh Smith and Marvin Williams had 18 and 14 points, while Maurice Evans chipped in 12 points coming off the bench.

Jeff Teague, Atlanta’s first round draft pick, made his Hawk debut with 5 points on 2 of 7 shooting, and 4 assists in 14 minutes.

It was an offensive battle in the first three quarters. At halftime the Hawks had a 66-65 lead and kept their one point lead at 95-94 to start the fourth.

It is a quick celebration for the Hawks who welcome the Washington Wizards on Friday.

The Wizards began their season with a 102-91 in Dallas. The Wizards were led by their point guard Gilbert Arenas who scored 29 points. Washington’s bench also led the Wizards to a win, center Andray Blatche had 20 points and guard Randy Foye had 19.

Al Horford and Mike Bibby will go opening night in Atlanta

John Boller — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:33:57 -0400

The Hawks received good news today after learning that their all five of their starters will be healthy and cleared to play tomorrow night in the Atlanta Hawks’ opening night.

It was only 48 hours ago that both Al Horford and Mike Bibby were at the practice facility receiving treatment from their injuries.

Horford is going to play even though he sprained his ankle in the Hawks’ preseason finale against the Orlando Magic on Friday.

Bibby’s injury actually occurred during the team’s Sunday practice. He sprained his left (non-shooting) wrist while participating in team drills.

“You always get nervous when any of your players go down,” small forward Marvin Williams said. “I’m just glad they’re both going to be okay and ready to play against Indiana. You want everybody healthy and read to go to start a season. That’s always a top priority.”

Atlanta is no stranger to having starters and key players missing games because of his injury. Last season the Hawks saw Horford, Williams, and Josh Smith miss a total of 42 games, just more than half of the season.

“It can hurt you,” head coach Mike Woodson said. “We’ve been fortunate the last two years to avoid some of that. It didn’t really bites us bad last year until the playoffs. Hopefully, we can stay away from that and stay strong throughout the year, because above all things, that’s the key to having a strong season.”

Jamal Crawford Gets Team—High Dwight Howard, Vince Carter Ready To Play

John Boller — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:53:42 -0400

In the Atlanta Hawks last preseason game before the regular season starts next week, four of their starting five played at least twenty minutes. However, the Orlando magic also played four of their five starters.

Orlando reminded the Hawks who the defending Eastern Conference champion was while en route to a blowout 123-86 win.

The win kept the Orlando Magic with a perfect record (8-0), remaining the only unbeaten team. In fact, every team has at least two losses.

For the Hawks (5-2), their All-Star and leader, Joe Johnson led the Hawks starters with 11 points. He only shot 2-of-9 from the field, but was 7-of-9 from the charity stripe. Forward Josh Smith chipped in with 10 points, the only other Hawk starter to make it to double-digit points.

Smith, who is coming off his best season in the NBA, is expecting big things for himself and his team this season. He also had 6 rebounds and led all players with five personal fouls in almost 30 minutes of action.

The new duo of Dwight Howard and Vince Carter is in full swing and looks ready to explode come next week. Both Howard and Carter played more than half of the game, and both shot 9-of-10 from the field.

Howard finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds (all defensive), and 3 blocked shots. Carter had a game-high 26 points that went with his game-high five three pointers. Carter was perfect from behind the arc. His five 3-pointers were more than the Hawks made as an entire team.

Atlanta’s new backup point guard Jamal Crawford’s 30 minutes and 49 seconds of action was the most anyone saw in Friday night’s game. His 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting led the Hawks.

The Hawks’ first round draft pick Jeff Teague got a chance to get some good game experience with 25 minutes of action. Unfortunately, he was 0-of-15 from the field, including 0-of-4 from the free-throw line. He did lead the Hawks with four assists.

In the Hawks’ seven preseason games, Teague averaged 12.1 points and 4.3 assists per game. He shot an exceptional .871 from the foul line, but only made one of the eleven 3’s he shot in the seven games. His highest point total of the preseason, 19 points, came in the Hawks’ preseason opener against the New Orleans Hornets on October 7^th . He also played the most minutes he saw in any preseason game against the Hornets with 33.

The Hawks will make their 2009-2010 season debut on Wednesday at 7pm at Indiana against the Pacers.

Josh Smith and Atlanta Hawks: Defense Wins Championships

John Boller — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:49:54 -0400

We know he can jump out of the gym.

We know he can blocks shots out of the gym.

However, is the season where he will bring enough to the gym and earn his first NBA All-Star selection?

The Atlanta Hawks’ high-flying forward Josh Smith is ready to begin his sixth NBA season.

Smith is ready for team success and personal success.

“After all the goals we have as a team—and we have lots of them—those are definitely my goals,” Smith said. “And I don’t think they are too far-fetched. I’m six years into my career and I’ve tasted some success. I want more of that, for my team and myself, in that order.”

One of Josh’s goals this season is to earn a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team, something that he has yet to do in his young NBA career. He and head coach Mike Woodson think he can do it by becoming an elite defender.

“It’s not always about scoring the ball,” Woodson said. “Sometimes it’s about leading the league in rebounding or the best defensive player in the league that helps you make an All-Star team. I remember Ben Wallace making a few that way.”

Along with never making an All-Star team, Smith has been missing from the All-Defensive team also. Smith has averaged 2.3 blocks per game, something that Smith feels people have overlooked.

“I’ve heard people say, ‘Well, blocking shots doesn’t always mean someone’s playing great defense.’ “I disagree,” Smith said. “It’s hard work, too. It’s a game changer as well. If you do it right, it can change the game on any play.”

It’s true. His shot-blocking ability is among the best shot blockers in the league. But, defense is not just about blocking shots. Rebounding is also a key part to defense. In his career, Smith is just averaging 7.4 rebounds per game.

“I’ve worked really hard on that part of my game in the past few years and especially this past summer,” he said. “Honestly, I would appreciate making the All-Defensive team more than anything.”

Defending and rebounding is what wins games, coach Woodson commented when asked about Smith’s season goals.

“But I want Josh thinking big and aiming high with all his goals,” he added. “I want him to shoot for all of it, so long as it helps this team win games.”

Last night, Smith and the Hawks handed a 113-95 loss to the visiting Washington Wizards. Their next game is Thursday against the Miami Heat.

Texas Rangers Make a Comeback, But Pitching Fails in the Ninth

John Boller — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:55:56 -0400

Down 11-0 after five innings, the Rangers and Arlington Stadium were left with long faces. Instead of shutting down, though, the Rangers roared back to life and came up just short of one of the biggest comebacks in Rangers history.

However, a seven-run ninth inning by the Blue Jays would be more than enough to hold off the Rangers and steal the first of four games, 18-10.

The high-scoring affair didn’t include the Rangers until the bottom of the fifth inning, when their bats were starting to wake up.

Texas (72-58) had only two hits by the fifth inning. After watching the Blue Jays (59-70) score in four of the first five innings, including five runs in the first inning and four in the fourth, the Rangers' lead-off batter reach base for the first time.

Left fielder David Murphy scored two batters later on first baseman Chris Davis’ single to left. Shortstop Elvis Andrus moved a runner over to third and was able to beat out the throw at first to avoid the double-play.

Next, second baseman Ian Kinsler unloaded the bases with a triple to right, making it an 11-3 game. The scoring continued with third baseman Michael Young hitting a sacrifice fly to drive in Kinsler.

The Rangers had gotten four and with two outs and no base runners; they had at least made a dent in Toronto’s lead.

Center fielder Josh Hamilton reached on an infield single to third base, and right fielder Marlon Byrd singled out to left, moving Hamilton to second.

DH Nelson Cruz had a runner in scoring position but was done 0-2 in the count. No sweat off of his back, as he sent Bret Cecil’s 0-2 pitch over the wall in left field and now the Rangers were back in the game 11-7.

The Rangers added two more runs in the inning and then one more in the bottom of the seventh, now only down by one, 11-10.

But, the Rangers went three up and three down in the bottom of the eighth inning and their pitching had some hiccups in the top of the ninth.

It started with Jason Grilli giving up a solo shot to Lind in right field. It was Lind’s second home run and fifth RBI of the game. First baseman Kevin Millar doubled to left, Vernon Wells hit a second straight double, scoring pinch runner Travis Snider.

Pedro Strop then came in for the Rangers in relief of Grilli, but the runs would keep coming for Toronto.

Strop got two quick outs, but then walked Bautista. That small opening was all the Blue Jays would need to add five more runs. A single scored Wells, who was on second after getting a double off of Grilli.

Scutaro was then given the free pass and the same for second baseman Aaron Hill. Hill’s walk came with the bases loaded and Bautista trotted across home plate.

As if a 15-10, 4-run top of the ninth wasn’t enough for the Blue Jays, Lind, who already had five RBIs, doubled to right, adding the three and final runs of the game. Strop struck out Snider for the third out, but the Blue Jays had added seven more giving them a comfortable 18-10 lead with just one-half inning left to play.

On the hill to start the game for the Rangers was 22-year-old Derek Holland (7-9). Holland, who was coming off six innings pitched, six earned runs, and two home runs against the New York Yankees last Wednesday, put the Rangers in a 5-0 hole after the first inning.

It was former Rangers catcher Rod Barajas who provided big damage in the first, hitting his first of two home runs off Holland in the top of the inning. Before giving up a three-run home run to Barajas, Holland had already surrendered two runs.

After his first three pitches of the game he gave up his first run after second baseman Aaron Hill doubled to deep left, who later scored for Toronto’s second run.

Holland walked DH Randy Ruiz on five pitches, setting the stage for Barajas with Blue Jay teammates on first and second base. Barajas, with his upper-cut style swing, got a hanger, put it in the stands, and gave Toronto five runs.

Holland settled down after giving up the blast, he retired Jose Bautista to finally end the top-half of the first and retired the next eight of nine batters before giving up a one out triple to Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells.

Holland, with his back against the wall and the Rangers still trailing 5-0, were at the mercy of Toronto.

The Blue Jays did not put together the same outburst of scoring like they did in the first, but Barajas did hit a sacrifice fly to score Wells from third to make it a 6-0 score after three.

In the fourth, it was déjà vu all over again for Holland, another big home run, only this time it was a grand salami.

Holland began the fourth by giving up a single to left. He followed this by plunking a batter, and then gave up another single to left. Left fielder Adam Lind stepped into the batter’s box with a chance to add to Toronto’s cushion.

Holland continued to hurt himself by falling behind in the count, two balls and no strikes. Lind swung and missed on third pitch, but then saw ball three after that, and left with a hitter’s count.

Lind did what you’re supposed to do with a hitter’s count.

He saw his pitch and tattooed it over the wall in left center. Rangers’ manager Ron Washington got off of his seat on the bench and ended the night for Holland. He lasted only three innings, giving up seven hits, two home runs, and 10 earned runs.

Toronto had two players finish with huge offensive nights. Barajas had two home runs and five RBI, while Lind had two home runs and eight RBI.

Tomorrow’s double-header starts at 5:05 ET from Arlington.

Vick is back in the NFL.

John Boller — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:47:44 -0400

It has been just under 24 months since Michael Vick was a player in the NFL.

Exactly 23 months ago, on August 27, 2007, Roger Goodell suspended the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback after pleading guilty to bankrolling the “Bad Newz Kennels” dogfighting ring.

But, his reinstatement has finally come.

After visiting with the NFL commissioner last week face-to-face, Vick did not have to wait very long until Goodell made his move.

Vick, now 29 years old, received his reinstatement through a letter from the commissioner Monday morning. However, his story does not stop here.

If a team does sign Vick, the reinstatement allows for him to participate in all team activities, except games. In the letter, Goodell told Vick that he is not to consider giving him in full reinstatement until Week Six (Oct. 18-19).

Even though he cannot play games, Vick can pursue opportunities from teams around the league that show an interest in the former all-pro quarterback and practice as soon as possible.

Vick, who listed his assets at $16 million and debts of more than $20 million when he filed for bankruptcy last July, is going to tell the creditors he owes on Friday in Norfolk, Virginia, that football is his plan for future income to help pay off his debt.

He was once the highest-paid player in the NFL, sporting a 10-year, $130 million contract with Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons.

Besides his hearty contract, Vick was one of the most popular stars in the league, racking up lucrative endorsements, which also left Vick after his guilty plea.

Vick is finally seeing better and brighter days, but there are still things that stand in Vick’s path as he continues to try and resume his former life.

Vick has to prove that he had indeed changed, and that he is committed to living a life much different from his time in the league.

He has to give back the money he owes, and also has to deal with the fans. Not just NFL fans, but fans of PETA, fans of the Humane Society of the United States, and so forth down the line. They will all want to take their shot at Vick.

Now, why does Goodell hold off from full reinstatement?

Is it to punish Vick even more for the crimes he did? Has he not paid enough?

I do not think the commissioner is trying to put more punishment on Vick.

I think he is looking at the whole picture and feels this way he can ease himself back into the league more smoothly.

There still are mixed feelings about Vick, and we don’t really know who he is yet. He could still be the same person that he was back in August of 2007. Or, he could be completely rehabilitated and ready to keep his slate clean.

I think the fact that Goodell is giving him until October helps make sure that that is the case.

But, it’s not just for Vick. It is for us to. It is hard to forget about what he went to prison for. The smoother and controlled his transition is, then the smoother it will be for him to rejoin the NFL and society.

Lee Future Still Uncertain, Knicks Waiting For James In 2010

John Boller — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 01:43:55 -0400

David Lee is 2,100 miles away from New York City, yet he is still being affected by the front office executives in New York.

Lee still remains the Knicks power forward after the Portland Trail Blazers offered free-agent point guard Andre Miller a 3-year $21 million deal.

Blazers’ head coach Nate McMillan, front-office executives Pritchard, and Tom Penn met with him in Las Vegas Tuesday evening.

Lee, who is currently in Vegas participating in the USA Basketball mini-camp this week, had his best season in the four years with the Knicks, and was hoping that was going to make make him a hot free-agent. He played in 81 games, averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds a game, and finished third in rebounding for the league. Oh yea, he did one more thing this past season, my favorite stat. He led the NBA in double-doubles with 65.

Lee's summer woes continue to keep coming. He was forced to sit out from the mini-camp this week because he is unsigned.

After Portland visited Lee in Las Vegas, they met with the Knicks in New York on Thursday. After discussions, the two teams could not get a deal done.

If the Trailblazers had made an offer sheet to Lee, it would have been a seven day wait before they could offer Miller a deal.

Meanwhile, the Knicks continue to keep Lee in limbo.

Why do they do this to Lee?

But, then you remember that next year is 2010. The very same year that LeBron James, and many other young NBA stars, will be free agents.

Lee’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, is being reported to have asked for a contract that will give his client better than $10 million a season. Unfortunately for Lee and Bartelstein, a contract like that would put New York team president Donnie Walsh’s promise of being under the cap in 2010 to pursue “King” James in jeopardy.

Since the Knicks probably do not want to sign Lee to a long-term contract, and offering him a 1-year $10 million deal just sounds wrong to the ears, his only way out of New York has to be a sign-and-trade deal.

My guess, I won’t be writing an article about Lee’s new deal or trade in the near future.

Atlanta Hawk To Play With USA National Team

John Boller — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:21:21 -0400

The USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo annouced today that the Hawks´, Josh Smith, is one of 25 players given invitations to participate in this year´s USA Basketball Men´s National Team mini-camp.

As a Hawks fan this excites because Smith could use the work. He had a decline this year in both points and blocks per game. His rebounding stayed about the same as did his assists. He improved on his turnovers and stayed out foul trouble.

Smith is a guy who can energize his team and the crowd at the snap of a finger, but the extra minutes he got on the court this season did not help his shooting.

His field-goal percentage was the best of his career at .492 (.457 in 07-08) but, after making strides from the free throw line in 2007-2008, he took a giant leap backwards by finishing the season at an atrocious .588.

In this year´s playoffs, his field-goal shooting went down from his regular season numbers and his free-throw shooting was much better.

However, if the Hawks want to continue to get to at least the second round, he needs to prove that he can be more than just a dunking-specialist, and energy guy threat.

When he participates with the USA Team, I want to see him try and develop a post move or off the ball, dribble and pull-up Smith. He rarely plays with his back to the basket, yet he is used in the power forward position at times. When is the power forward, he does make a good effort on the offensive glass, and helps give the Hawks second chance points.

His ball-handling skills need to improve also. I think that is another reason why his shooting is not always consistent from the outside.

Smith does not have a very smooth dribble and shoot motion, like Joe Johnson does. Most of the time, he shoots off of the pass. He needs to develop a move than he can do, create space, and then get the shot off.

Also, I think Smith should be used in pick-and-roll more. Give someone the ball you knows how to attack the defense on the pick-and-roll. All Smith needs just a little room in front and then he can takeoff to the moon. I mean, he is as fast as lightning and makes good decisions when he has some space ahead of him.

The Mini camp will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 22-25.

The head coach for the team will be the Toronto Raptors head coach Jay Triano, Utah Jazz assistant coach Tyrone Corbin, Detroit Pistons assistant Dave Cowens, and former New Orleans Hornets assistant Kenny Gattison.

Twenty-one of the 25 participants have prior USA Basketball team experience, not including Smith.

Smith has now had five full seasons in the NBA. I know he is only 23 years old, but his window of opportunity is getting smaller and smaller.

I like that he is taking advantage of a terrific opportunity to compete against high-level of competition, get some recognition, and work on his skills.

Also, another thing to think about, if Smith did excel at the mini-camp, his stock could go up, giving the Hawks could an opportunity to move Smith for a solid return.

Good luck Josh, I know you will make Atlanta proud.

Keep Shakin' Up The Eastern Conference

John Boller — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:25:30 -0400

The Eastern Conference has had a major face-lift since the NBA draft. Cleveland, Orlando, Boston, and Detroit, have all had dramatic reconstructive surgery. The Cavaliers and Boston had some work added on, while Orlando and Detroit had some work added and removed.

Their early moves are for one thing and one thing only. They want to represent the East in the NBA Finals next year. No more building for the future. We are going to win and win now.

As a fan, I love this attitude. In Atlanta, we have been building for the future for a few years now. After making it to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in a decade, I want the Hawks to not just compete, but win.

There are two moves that I think the Hawks should try:

1. Sign Free Agent David Lee

2. Trade Josh Smith in a deal to somehow get Amare Stoudemire, or for someone that can shoot the basketball

We know what Stoudemire brings to the table, what about David Lee.

Lee, a four-year veteran, has spent all of them with the New York Knicks. The Knicks made Lee the 30^th overall draft pick in the 2005 draft.

This season, Lee played in 81 games for the second straight season, starting in a career-high 73 games in 2008-2009.

Lee had a break-out year in his fourth season. He had career bests in minutes per game (34.9), points per game (16.0), rebounds per game (11.8), and assists per game (2.1).

His field-goal shooting and free-throw shooting were down slightly from last season, but both were still considerably better than Smith.

All of that isn’t even the best part about Lee. He only made $1.7 million last year. Smith made $10 million.

If Lee did come to Atlanta, he would be reunited with a former teammate, and a Gator Alum. Lee and newly-acquired Hawk, Jamal Crawford, played for three years together in New York. This season, Crawford played 11 games with the Knicks before being sent to the Golden State Warriors.

The Hawks’ center, Al Horford, attended the University of Florida, winning back-to-back championships.

The connection and rapport Lee and Crawford have from being old teammates, plus a friend in the locker room that has been with the team, and who is fan favorite in the city, would help make the transition to Atlanta much easier for both Lee and Crawford.

With the Hawks reporting a verbal agreement with Mike Bibby to a three-year $18 million deal, and if the Hawks did sign Lee, they will only need one more piece to be championship contenders. That piece is, the above mentioned, Stoudemire.

If this happened, the 2009-2010 Hawks could definitely compete in the East:

PG- Mike Bibby

SG- Joe Johnson

SF- Marvin Williams (need to resign), Maurice Evans, Go big with David Lee

PF- Al Horford

C- Amare Stoudemire

Lee could be the Hawks’ sixth-man. If he had the same numbers as last season or better, he could be a finalist for the NBA’s, Sixth-Man of the Year.

Where Is Our Scoring Line?

John Boller — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:17:40 -0400

Scoring, scoring, and more scoring.

That is what the Thrashers need.

Following another year of no playoffs, the Atlanta Thrashers need to bring in firepower on the offensive side of the stick.

The Thrashers reconstruction began with the draft in June.

With the fourth overall pick, Atlanta chose 17-year old Evander Kane. Kane totaled 33 points 18 games into the season with Vancouver of the WHL. Kane is not just a one-way player; he has a quick burst to his speed to help initiate the offense and the ability to get back on defense, giving him full reign over the entire ice.

The current front displayed by the Thrashers Bryan Little, IIya Kovalchuk, and Vyacheslav Kozlov, helped Atlanta finish in the top ten in goals per game. But, after those three, the Thrashers have no other scoring line. Here is where Kane and Atlanta’s following two draft picks fit the puzzle.

In the second round, the Thrashers took two left wing players. First was Carl Klingberg as the 34^th overall pick.

Klingberg is an 18-year old that was playing in the World Junior Championships U18 division in Sweden. He scored four points in six games. In the regular season the 18-year old got 26 points and 34 penalty minutes.

He is the second piece of the Thrashers’ future scoring line puzzle.

Later in the second round, with the 45^th overall selection, another 18-year old left wing player was named an Atlanta Thrasher, Jeremy Morin, from Auburn, New York.

Morin played in 46 games in the US Development Program, putting up numbers worth mentioning. In those 46 games, he got 48 points, 26 goals and 22 assists. He also had 94 penalty minutes.

These three picks together complete the Thrashers objective of bringing the team’s future scoring line.

The current prospects that Atlanta has at the forward position (Angelo Esposito, Daulton Leveille, Spencer Machacek, and Riley Holzapfel) are all solid two-way prospects, but Esposito is the only true scorer.

The 20-year old Esposito had 69 points in 56 games played with the Quebec Remparts. The 20^thoverall pick in the 2007 draft is ready to play and should get an opportunity to compete for the top-6 forward roles next season.

Once free agency starts, Atlanta should hurry up and resign third line player, Marty Reasoner. The 32-year old scored career-high 14 goals this season and 16 assists in 79 games.

Even after resigning Reasoner, the Thrashers still need a player that can get to the net and also have enough size to play a two-way game.

The Thrashers have $20 million available in their salary cap, giving them an opportunity to add another star to join Ilya Kovalchuk.

The signing of Nik Antropov, who played with Kovalchuk in the Russian league, makes for a pretty good pairing.

On the defensive side, the signing of Pavel Kubina to the defensive line add his experience and size to an already decent defensive line.

But, the scoring line is the key, and the Thrashers still have plenty of options in the free agent market.

With Antropov and Kovalchuk, the Thrashers need another game changer. Alexi Kovalev, Maxim Afinogenove, and Miroslav Satan. Adding any one of these three players, would give the Thrashers a first line with three play makers instead of just Kovalchuk.

Also, bringing in a quality player could convince Kovalchuk to resign with Atlanta.

If the Thrashers were not able to sign Kovalev, Afinogenov, and Satan, there are still a couple more options for them to consider in Brian Gionta, Erik Cole, and Bill Guerin.

Gionta is a center with play-making ability, something that the Thrashers desperately need. Cole and Guerin could both bring size and experience to a youthful Thrashers team.

Bottom line, you can’t win if you don’t have firepower, something that the Thrashers are lacking. They have a chance to get some, if they don’t, they will continue to miss the playoffs.

Hawks Trade For One Point Guard and Draft Another at No. 19

John Boller — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:34:12 -0400

The Mike Bibby days are numbered in Atlanta.

This is the case after the Hawks dealt veteran Speedy Claxton and their 11th overall pick in the 2007 draft, Acie Law, to the Golden State Warriors for Jamal Crawford earlier today.

Five hours later, Atlanta selected Jeff Teague as the 19th pick in the 2009 Draft.

Teague spent two years as the point guard at the University of Wake Forest where he caught national exposure by averaging 30 points a game during the Demon Deacons’ four-game stretch that sky-rocketed the team to the No. 1 ranking.

Both Teague and Wake Forest hit a wall in March; this caused Teague to ponder whether he should return to school or not.

At 6’2” and 180 pounds, Teague draws comparison with former Hawk point guard, Jason Terry. Just like Terry, he is an explosive off-the-ball player who finds ways to score when there appear to be none. He can shoot from the perimeter, but going to the basket is his forte. His ability to create on the move leads to more trips at the foul line, where he shot .812 in his final season at Wake Forest.

A return to the second round for the Atlanta Hawks already looks harder than this past season and we have not even started the preseason.

The two teams that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals have already made their moves.

Shaq is returning to the East, where he will see if he can get LeBron James a championship just like he did with Dwayne Wade.

Meanwhile, Shaquille’s former team and home of current nemesis, Orlando Magic, have given up a good-looking young talent in Courtney Lee, for some Vinsanity (Vince Carter).

Also, the Boston Celtics are tired of being ignored, and have suggested possibilities of trading away Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen.

Allen, I can understand.

After all, it was not him in the playoffs getting a triple-double every other night. But, Rondo, why him? All I know is that I fell in love with Rondo after watching him in the playoffs.

I think the Hawks should be ringing Danny Ainge’s cell phone.

I would even consider having Allen on the team if we could get Rondo. That way, the Hawks would get a solid perimeter shooter, something they need, and plus someone else besides Joe Johnson, who can create their own shot in Rondo.

Bibby is on his way out and I think that Josh Smith should join him.

Smith is never going to establish his perimeter shot. He is a terrific athlete, but he is not a good enough basketball player. It would be better for the Hawks to move him while his value is still there. But, his stock is fading fast.

Smith did shoot .492 from the field this season, but he shot .270 from the 3-point line and .588 from the foul line. It was his worst season from the free throw line and also a decline in his 3-point shooting.

Now the lineup is, Rajon Rondo at the point, Jamal Crawford at shooting guard, Joe Johnson at small forward, Marvin Williams at power forward, and Al Horford holding it all down in the middle. Allen (Ray Allen) would absolutely come off the bench or maybe steal a spot from Crawford.

Not bad.

All can run the floor and have the ability to keep the court spread. Williams adds more to the offensive end, especially where Smith didn’t. Last season Williams shot .458 from the field, .806 from the foul line and .355 from behind-the-arc.

Speed and outside shooting are back and are critical in today’s NBA. The Orlando Magic proved that this season. Cleveland just got slower in O’Neal, the Magic probably stayed the same with Vince, and I'm not sure what the Celtics are thinking, but, I think speed is where the Hawks should go.

There are not many who can move the ball like Rondo can.

The Hawks' Top Five All-Time Draft Picks

John Boller — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:29:10 -0400

An NBA Champion, “The Human Highlight Film”, “Sweet Lou”, “The Jet”, and the “Plastic Man”. Three out of the five draft picks have their numbers retired with the Hawks. The two who do not share a retired jersey with the other three, did not play the majority of their career with the Hawks. However, if they had stayed in Atlanta, they would no doubt belong next to the jerseys of Bob Pettit, Lou Hudson, and Dominique Wilkins. No. 9 gave them their only championship. He also gave them a dominant force during the late 1950s and early 1960s. No. 21 had a style that was all his own. His flying through the air lasted for twelve years in Atlanta. He led the Hawks to four straight 50-win seasons, challenged Michael Jordan in slam dunk contests, and went toe-to-toe with Larry Bird. No. 23 ushered in the beginning of the Hawks Era in the city of Atlanta, and with Pete Maravich, became the second teammates to total 2,000 points in a season. The No. 4 and No. 5 all-time Hawk draft picks are unlike the first three, because they only played a few seasons with the franchise. But, just like the other three, their impact on the team after the draft was just as big. Stacey Augmon was a defensive nightmare for his opponents. Sort of like today's Bruce Bowen, but more likeable. He usually was a league leader in steals and only trailed Mookie Blaylock in leading the team in steals. In his rookie season, he started all 82 games and scored the league's 6-millionth point. Jason Terry, rounding out the top five, became an Atlanta Hawk in the 1999 draft. He became the first Hawk since Augmon to be named to the first or second All-Rookie Team. In just his fourth season with the Hawks, he tied one franchise milestone, and passed Hawk legend, Dominique Wilkins, in another.

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