Bleacher Report - Articles by Jack Bender

Smokin' Joe Johnson Leads Atlanta Hawks in OT Win Over Portland Blazers

Jack Bender — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:35:53 -0500

Atlanta Hawks' color analyst Dominique Wilkins said it all when he said late in the 4th quarter that "Joe Johnson was smokin'." Johnson caught fire for the Hawks hitting a variety of pull up jump shots, tough three point shots, strong driving lay-ups, and floaters in the lane.

Once again in this game, the Hawks dominated the offensive boards. Josh Smith led the way with another monster double-double. Smith finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Smith's passing has been great this season and he has been a key to the Hawks league-leading 9-2 start.

The biggest disappointment of the night was the late arriving and non-existent Hawks crowd. The home crowd (those fans that actually took the time to show up) sat quietly in their seats for three quarters.

Philips Arena was so quiet that I heard Greg Oden's joints creaking. A fan eating nachos a couple of rows behind Portland's Coach Nate McMillan politely asked McMillan to move to his right during a free throw.

During a Hawks' third quarter time-out, I thought I overheard game official Steve Javie giving a pep talk to Allen Iverson on a cell phone call. You could actually hear Juwan Howard's goatee growing. I mean it was quiet circa Philips Arena in 2005.

Portland's 3-2 zone gave the Hawks problems all night long. Trail Blazer Assistant Coach Dean Demoupoulus is a zone guru and he dialed up the right zone coverages. The Hawks usually knock down threes and force teams out of the zone, but those shots were not falling. To beat this zone, you have to flatten out on the baseline and post up a player on the block.

The Hawks could never make the adjustment, but, in the 4th quarter, Joe turned up the offensive intensity. Portland almost had to play man and the Hawks were able to exploit some match up advantages.

Al Horford was able to take Oden off the dribble. J-Smoove drove on Juwan Howard. Joe simply torched Brandon Roy.

Possibly, the Trail Blazers do not know that most teams are doubling Joe down the stretch of games. Joe must have had flashbacks to the Boston playoff series in 2008 when the Celtics refused to double team him. Johnson can score on almost anyone one-on-one.

Portland has a similar problem to the Hawks in that their best player Brandon Roy has to guard the other team's best player when they really need a stop. Johnson just overwhelmed Roy tonight in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Smokin' Joe finished the game with 35 points and 9 assists to rescue a victory from the jaws of defeat. Hopefully, on Wednesday versus the Miami Heat, more Hawks fans will see the game and help keep the Hawks undefeated at the Highlight Factory.

Will LeBron James Sign with the Atlanta Hawks in 2010?

Jack Bender — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:54:59 -0500

OK, this week LeBron James has made it crystal clear that he is no longer going to answer questions about his impending free agency in the huge NBA summer 2010 Lebron sweepstakes.

But, after watching him dominate the Orlando Magic and put on an absolute show against the Miami Heat (his running jump shot at the end of the first quarter was sick), I could not help, but imagine LBJ in an Atlanta Hawks' uniform next season.

That's crazy you say, but let's breakdown the Hawks franchise and why Atlanta is a perfect fit for King James.

Salaray Cap Situation

Hawks' GM Rick Sund would have to be creative, but the money is there.

The Hawks spent the last part of this summer trying to negotiate an extension with Joe Johnson for four years and over $60 million. Joe is making a little more than $15 million this year and becomes a free agent in 2010 as well. That money will come off the Hawks' books.

It looks like the salary cap will be around $55 million. The Hawks could use the Joe Johnson money, make a trade or two to come up with $7 million more per season, and make LeBron an offer. I have read where he might be looking to do something for only three years.

What if the Hawks offered him a three year contract for $72-75 million? Sure, LeBron would have to leave years and $30 million or so on the table by leaving the Cavaliers, but he could sign another mega-deal in the summer of 2013. Freedom is a great selling point.

Surrounding Cast/Roster

Joe Johnson is the perfect complimentary player for LeBron, but he would be gone. The Hawks still have a solid nucleus of young talent to surround the King. Josh Smith is having a breakout year. Marvin Williams is solid NBA starter with three-point range. Al Horford is a rising All-Star in the paint.

In the 2010-2011 season, the Hawks could start Jamal Crawford or Mike Bibby at point guard, LeBron, Marvin, J-Smoove, and Horford. Off the bench, you still have Zaza Pachulia under contract and Jeff Teague; you re-sign Mo Evans for cheap; Sund can bring back Josh Childress for a few million a year and you have your draft choice to use.

With LeBron's passing skills, leadership, scoring, and superior intangibles, you have a better supporting class than Cleveland or the New York Knicks. Score a big basket in this category for the Hawks.

Coach

Atlanta's head coach Mike Woodson is in the final year of his contract. That means total flexibility for the Hawks. I really respect the coaching job that Woodson has done here in the ATL, but no other teams are beating down the door to hire him.

Basically, you could offer James almost total control of the head coaching situation. Do not forget that in the history of the NBA you have had player-coaches. The Celtics' Bill Russell is a perfect example.

I do not think the player-coach works in today's NBA, but coaching LeBron would be a major attraction for any coach. You could go with a low profile coach without an ego like a Donnie Nelson type. Or you could make a big splash and maybe pick up someone lured by the bright lights of LBJ like Rick Pitino. Flexibility and input from James are positives for Atlanta.

Management Structure

This category is a big stumbling block for the Hawks. This is ownership by large committee which hardly ever works well. The feeding frenzy in the Atlanta Spirit Group caused by a LeBron signing might be disastrous. You might have ten owners wanting to hold court with the media every night.

I worry that LeBron's persona is so big that the owners might not realize the he would be making them millions in franchise value alone. Plus, the Hawks' management structure seems to prevent competent decision-making like hiring a new coach. However, LeBron might be intrigued because he could buy a piece of the team!

Style of Play

I do not think this matters that much. You adjust your style of play to LBbron. I can see LeBron and Horford pick and rolls. I can see Bibby and Marvin spotting up for jumpers. The big key would be to have a championship caliber defensive philosophy.

The Hawks would be incredibly long and athletic with basically four 6'8'' starters and a point guard. Lots of steals and block shots should lead to a ton of transition baskets.

Additional Perks

What does the city of Atlanta have to offer LeBron James? Not as much as New York, Miami and Los Angeles. But, Atlanta is the virtual center of the Hip-Hop world. The music scene here is outrageous. The weather is nearly perfect.

I envision James buying Arthur Blank's house in Buckhead and fitting in perfectly on Tuxedo Road and West Paces Avenue.

The moment he signed the contract LeBron would become a sensation in this city. He would be bigger here than Jordan was in Chicago. His stardom would dwarf the lingering shadow of Michael Vick in this city. For a 7 p.m. tip-off, fans would be in their seats at 6 p.m. to watch warm-ups. Oh, it would be hot in Hotlanta.

The Verdict

At first glance, some might disregard Atlanta's prospects of landing LeBron, but the supporting cast matches up with any other team. Yeah, there would be no second superstar, but Horford and Smith have very high NBA ceilings. The money can be figured out. There is also great flexibility in the coach and style of play.

I am saying that Atlanta would be in the top five destinations for LeBron and there is about a 46 percent chance he would sign with the Hawks. Hawks fans can take heart, because three years ago there would have been a zero percent chance.

10 Observations From the Atlanta Hawks vs. Sacramento Kings Game

Jack Bender — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:54:21 -0500

1. Either the traffic in Sacramento is terrible or the Kings' fans are staging a Cleveland Browns-type protest on a mid-week NBA game. Is it a protest if Fox News does not cover and promote it?

Mike Bibby's return could not even bring back flashes of the glory days of this franchise earlier this decade. They could have at least booed him once! Both teams were scoring at will, but the crowd was disinterested and weak. The only thing worse was how bored the Kings' bench looked.

2. Tyreke Evans and Kevin Martin have the worst combined shooting form for a starting NBA back court. Evans has obviously improved his shooting range from his Memphis days, but his release and arc on the shot are awkward. He really might "make it rain." Martin's release (especially at the foul line when it's slower) almost causes me physical pain.

3. The Atlanta Hawks do not like to guard the pick and roll play. No wonder the Orlando Magic dominate the Hawks. Guards go under the screen, bigs do not step up and level off the dribbler to stop penetration. The Kings are hanging around late in the third quarter looking for a win.

4. The Atlanta Hawks miss Speedy Claxton. No not on the basketball court, but for his sartorial splendor on the bench. Speedy was always good for some bright colors. Can someone please get John Drew a creamy, orange suit or a gold jacket.

5. Sean May has the exact same body he did as a sophomore at North Carolina. May just looks sloppy and out of shape. I would not play him just based on looks alone. He has to be one of the biggest disappointing high draft picks and NCAA tourney stars in recent memory.

6. The Los Angeles Lakers are really good. I think the Lakers are better at almost every position than the Hawks. The Hawks are better at almost every position than the Kings. Lakers versus Kings Las Vegas point spread has to be -23.5 at least.

7. Dribbling is a lost art for some NBA players. Kings forward Andres Nocioni never dribbles with his left hand. He might take six right hand dribbles from the left wing to get to a right-hand layup.

Tyreke Evans was called for palming the basketball on consecutive possessions in the first half of this game. He is the Kings' point guard!

For the Hawks, coach Mike Woodson should fine Josh Smith every time he attempts to dribble the ball behind his back. Literally, stop the game and demand the fine in cash.

8. Israeli basketball players have trouble guarding Jamal Crawford. Omir Cassipi for the Kings had trouble with Crawford, but Crawford looks like he is in mid-season form as far as scoring and being aggressive on offense.

Here is a tip for Cassipi—if Crawford faces you up and takes a hard dribble between his legs from his right hand to his left, he is pulling up to shoot the jump shot.

9. The new contract from this summer is weighing heavily on Marvin Williams. Marvin is pressing a little, especially on offense. He might be feeling the heat of watching Crawford score at will. Coach Woodson might want to play Joe Johnson minutes at the three spot and that would mean Marvin sitting on the bench.

10. The Sacramento Kings are scrappier and hungrier than the Hawks tonight. There is not one guy on the Kings that I would pay to see play, but they are hanging tough at home against Atlanta. I mean Beno Udrih is controlling the game on the offensive end of the court.

Atlanta Hawks-Washington Wizards: Key Matchups

Jack Bender — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:00:19 -0400

Tomorrow night, the Atlanta Hawks and the Washington Wizards square off in a big early season match up of two of the top three teams in the Southeast Division of the NBA's Eastern Conference.

Both teams are coming off impressive opening night wins. The Wizards traveled to Dallas and upended the Mavericks with a big fourth quarter. The Hawks found themselves trailing the upstart Pacers with about seven minutes left before ratcheting up the defensive intensity and winning easily.

The Hawks and Wizards are going to be fighting all year for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Tomorrow night should be played with a ton of intensity by both teams. The Wizards are going to with a tight eight-man rotation, while the Hawks have more depth. Coach Woodson might have to shorten the bench to win this game.

This game will be decided by three key player matchups.

Marvin Williams vs. Caron Butler

Many Hawks' fans and some media talked in the summer about the Hawks dealing Marvin for Caron. They have very similar games. Butler is the more explosive scorer, but Williams is a much better defender and three-point shooter.

The good thing for Williams is the rest of the NBA has not discovered that he can make outside shots. If Butler helps too much on defense, Williams will burn the Wizards from long range.

Jamal Crawford vs. Gilbert Arenas

Yes, I know Mike Bibby will start at the point for the Hawks, but there is no way Coach Mike Woodson can allow Bibby to guard Arenas. Bibby will have to start on Mike Miller and hope that Miller is not aggressive on the offensive end.

Jamal Crawford is going to have to play major minutes tomorrow against Arenas. Crawford is long enough and quick enough to force Arenas into some tough shots. On the other end, Crawford will be able to score and penetrate against Arenas. Crawford had some quality assists on Wednesday against the Pacers.

The Hawks have to go with a bigger lineup to match up. If Crawford plays more minutes at point guard and can score enough to offset Arenas' production, the Hawks will be in great shape.

Josh Smith vs. Fabricio Oberto and Audray Blatche

Oberto will start for the Wizards, but Blatche is going to play more minutes. Josh Smith simply has to dominate Oberto with his quickness. Oberto will throw every defensive old-guy European/South American move at him, but J-Smoove has to attack the basket. Smith could go to the foul line 10-plus times in this game.

Blatche is a whole different story. It looks like Coach Flip Saunders is going to play Blatche and Brendan Haywood together. The twin towers unit will give the Hawks trouble if Smith is not active defensively. He is going to have to block Blatche out and keep him off the offensive glass.

To win this important early game, the Hawks have to win the rebounding battle and Josh Smith is going to be a major factor in that area. The Hawks' second unit has to play well and wear the Wizards down during the first three quarters.

And lastly, someone is going to have to take the challenge of guarding Arenas in crunch time. Joe Johnson figures to get that assignment, but Crawford can start earning some respect from Hawks' fans with solid performance on both ends of the court.

How the Atlanta Hawks Will Win 55 Games

Jack Bender — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:55:30 -0400

The Atlanta Hawks will win 55 games this season if...

...They Learn How to Win on the Road

This team only won 16 road games during the 2008-09 season. The Hawks lost all five of their road playoff games. They should be able to get to 50 wins by just playing better on the road.

What is it going to take to go .500 on the road? One quality—toughness. By toughness, I mean setting solid screens, blocking out, knowing your opponents' tendencies, crashing the offensive boards, etc.

Do the dirty work. This is not that easy when you are playing a back-to-back in Milwaukee and Minnesota in the middle of the winter. Winning on the road is hard. It takes focus and commitment.

...Marvin Williams Lives up to the Potential and Promise He Showed in the Early Months of the 2008 Season

Williams was arguably the Hawks best perimeter defender for most of last year. He matches up with Lebron, Paul Pierce, and the best wing players in the NBA.

This summer Williams received the big guaranteed money. How will the money and security effect his game? Last year, he was taking charges, rebounding, and making the corner three-point shot.

He was clutch during the Hawks quick start in November and December. If Marvin plays without the passion of 2008, he will live down to the whispers of being a bust from early in his career.

...Josh Smith Plays Hard

If you ever watch Smith jog up and down the court, lose sight of the basketball in transition, and stay on the perimeter instead of crashing the offensive boards, you know what I mean.

Smith could be a dominant player on both ends of the court. He could be the one guy that the Hawks could post up. I can see him on the right block with a short lefty hook or a spin to the baseline to score. The problem is Smith wants to shoot jumpers.

He has to play with more energy. Last week, I watched Brandon Bass from Orlando and Chris Anderson from the Denver Nuggets. Neither player has Smith's ability, but they both have the desire that Smith has not shown. That is scary at $11 million a year.

...Jamal Crawford Plays Crucial Fourth Quarter Minutes at the Point Guard Position

Crawford can create his own shot at any time against any defender. The question is will he create easy scoring opportunities for his teammates, especially in the fourth quarter?

Hawks fans will have to get used to Crawford bringing the ball across half court, dribbling between his legs, and shooting. That is his bread and butter move and it will happen a ton this year. He will score in the fourth quarter, but will he defend and distribute?

...Coach Mike Woodson Is More Creative on the Offensive End of the Floor

Woodson has to do two things for this Hawks team to win more games.

First, he has to encourage and allow the Hawks to push the ball in transition. The Hawks have no low post game. They have to run to score easy baskets. When Teague, J-Smoove, and Horford are in the game together the Hawks can run.

Secondly, Woodson has to be more creative with set plays in the final minutes. The Hawks can't just cut Joe Johnson into the left low post area and clear out the side for him every time. The Orlando Magic were doubling Johnson on the initial catch in the preseason!

When the Hawks absolutely have to have a score, Woodson has to have drilled into them their go-to plays. The Lakers have the triangle offense, the Magic have the high screen and roll, the Spurs throw the ball to Duncan on the left block. What do the Hawks do?

...Al Horford Has to Become a Monster on the Offensive and Defensive Glass

There is absolutely no reason that "the Boss" should not average double figures in points and rebounds this season.

Speaking of scoring in double figures, Horford has to be more effective on screen and roll plays. One problem for the Hawks in 2008 was that Joe and Mike Bibby do not like or try to penetrate off a ball screen.

That should be better this year with Crawford and maybe Teague at the point. Horford should be able to score on dunks, offensive put backs, and spot up jumpers out of this play.

...Joe Johnson Plays Like Joe Always Plays

In my mind, Johnson could be an MVP candidate. He is a warrior that has played huge minutes in the past two years.

When other guys were injured in 2008, he carried the load. He scored, he set guys up, and he often had to guard the other team's point guard in crunch time.

Do Joe's legs have another big year in them? He refused to sign an extension with the Hawks. That will only be a distraction if the Hawks struggle, but I expect Johnson to come to play every night.

The scary part for Hawks fans that know anything about winning basketball is that he might be doing that for the New York Knicks after the summer of 2010.

Joe Johnson Turns Down Extension Offer From the Atlanta Hawks

Jack Bender — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:32:04 -0400

Say it ain't so, Joe. According to reports, Joe Johnson has turned down the Atlanta Hawks offer of a contract extension believed to be for four years and $60 million. Johnson will be one of the marquee unrestricted free agents in the much heralded 2010 NBA free agent extravaganza starting on July 1st.

Listen, I think Johnson is one of the Top 20 players in the NBA and his all around basketball game makes him one of the best shooting guards. He is at a level just a notch below Kobe and D-Wade.

Any Hawks' fan that has really watched this team in the past two years and knows anything about basketball realizes that Johnson is their MVP. Even the notoriously fickle Jeff Van Gundy was touting Super Joe as a league wide MVP candidate when the Hawks were making a great run last December.

Hawks' fans have to be asking themselves, what does this mean for the 2009-2010 season. Here are five possible scenarios for Super Joe and the Hawks:

1. Joe flat out plays great all season and has his best season as a professional. Johnson clearly wants to test the open market. An extra year on a contract and $20 million more are great motivators. If Coach Mike Woodson plays him less minutes, Johnson could lead the Hawks back into the second round of the playoffs.

2. Mike Bibby gets injured, Jamal Crawford shoots a lot, and Jeff Teague disappears on Woodson's bench. Johnson has to play a league high 40.2 minutes per game and he ages about seven years. Hawks fall back to a .500 team. LeBron James still wants Johnson as his sidekick in Cleveland, but the Cavs only pay Joe $39 million over three years. Johnson takes the deal just to get out of town.

3. The Hawks struggle before the All-Star break. Woodson looks like he is on his way out. Josh Smith under achieves. Horford still cannot make a clutch post move and score. General Manager Rick Sund starts to hear the whispers from his days in Seattle...trade Joe at the trading deadline. Get value for him before its too late. Depending on the deal this could be a good or bad scenario.

4. The NBA financial situation keeps getting worse. The Hawks play inconsistently all year, but make the playoffs before getting upset by the resurgent Washington Wizards. Johnson hits the open market, but there are no takers in the first week and he panics (I doubt it knowing this guy's personality and the fact that he has already made $70 million in the past five years). Johnson re-signs with the Hawks at the extension numbers offered this fall.

5. Hawks totally implode this year and do not make the playoffs. The core group of guys that Sund has put together has to be blown up somehow. Woodson is fired or just let his contract expire. Johnson is let go. J-Smoove is dealt to Golden State for Monta Ellis and Stephen Jackson. The Hawks hire Donnie Nelson, Jr. and the 2010 Hawks become Golden State 2008.

Sad. Or Johnson leaves and the Hawks clear some cap space and sign D-Wade. We can only dream.

Fantasy Football: Five Quick Draft Tips

Jack Bender — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:43:34 -0400

Fantasy drafts are similar to the old saying about the Thursday of a Major golf tournament. You cannot win your Fantasy League on draft night, but you might draft so badly that you are never a factor in your Fantasy League.

Players are going to get injured or benched, and you are going to have to make trades or waiver wire pickups in order to make the playoffs and win your league. However, a draft with value players sets you up for a great start to the season.

For reference, I play in a couple of different 12-team leagues with a 16-round draft. We do not use flex players or Individual Defensive Players, so those are not covered in this article. Here are five quick draft tips that I use in my Fantasy Draft preparation.

1. Check out the Average Draft Positions for your main player targets. If you are like me, you do not have time to research all kinds of statistics before your draft. I usually spend about two or three hours actually making draft lists.

ADP, Average Draft Position, is the best indicator of where players are going all over the country. You see the value that many other people are putting on each player.

In 2008 Fantasy drafts, Kurt Warner probably was not drafted in many leagues, but you might have had a gut feeling he was going to start for the Arizona Cardinals. It would have been a bad pick to draft Warner high, but if you knew you wanted him in round-14 as your backup quarterback, you could wait and fill out your roster with better players at the other positions.

ADP is available on nearly all quality Fantasy Football web sites. If you only look at a couple statistics (touchdowns scored last year, total yards, etc.), ADP definitely needs to be one of them.

2. Make your own player Sleeper list with a concentration on some rookies. Everyone knows the best players, but you have to separate yourself by getting value in the later rounds. I make myself a list of 20 players that I know will be available in the later rounds.

Every year there are rookies that make a big impact on Fantasy Football. Last year, Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans was a major contributor. Matt Forte, the Chicago Bears’ running back, was a Sleeper pick that helped someone win their league.

One guy I really like this year is Jeremy Macklin of the Philadelphia Eagles. On offense, the Eagles spread the football around to all of their skill players, so Macklin is going to get some touches in the Red Zone.

3. Do a mock draft by positions like RB, QB, or TE. You really cannot do a mock draft by player because of the unpredictability of other people in your Fantasy league. Someone may take a kicker in the first-round! I saw that happen once.

Plus, time is a factor. Very few people have the time to do an entire mock draft for Fantasy Football, but you quickly can do a round-by-round player position draft. This gives you a simple draft strategy to follow.

You should think unconventionally with your position order. Running backs are very important, but quarterbacks have led my leagues in scoring the past few seasons. If you have a middle pick in the first-round, I'd definitely consider taking Tom Brady or Drew Brees.

If you have bookend picks at the end of the first and beginning of the second round, you might take the best two running backs available or throw in one of the best wide receivers. Getting your top four draft selections correct is vital to having a winning Fantasy team.

For example, figure out in which round you want to take a QB, RB, or Wide Receiver. You may think that the wide receiver position is deeper than running back. If so, you might want to draft four running backs in the first six rounds of the draft. Make a list for all 12 rounds and try to stick to it.

In later rounds, you can have RB/WR. Save your kicker for last, but I like to draft my starting defense in an earlier round because I just take one defense. I know they are going to play each week—no chance of injury! This will help you focus and fill out your roster with quality players at ever position.

4. Know the Vultures and Handcuffs of your starting running backs. Handcuffs are backup running backs that can step right in for an NFL team, start, and produce Fantasy points. Vultures are other running backs on the same team as your starter that steal touchdowns away from your player. Running backs with known Vultures might lose some of their Fantasy impact.

The Carolina Panthers’ Jonathan Stewart is a big time Vulture. The Titans' Lendale White is a touchdown Vulture. Teams that go with a bigger goal line running back are dangerous to your starter. Michael Bush of the Oakland Raiders is sure to steal some TDs from Darren McFadden. You might remember Jerome Bettis as the ultimate touchdown stealer for the Steelers a few seasons ago.

If you have the first pick and draft Adrian Peterson, you should look to draft Chester Taylor as Peterson’s handcuff in a later round. Peterson is going to miss a few games with injury.

Another running back whose backup will earn a bunch of touches is the Colts’ Joseph Addai. If you draft Addai and are expecting to start him every Sunday, you need to know who his backup is. You might have to take the handcuff running back earlier than you want to, but it will be worth it.

5. Pay attention to the Offensive Coordinators and their reputations. Everyone knows that the Saints are going to throw a bunch and score a ton of points. For that reason, the Saints’ skill players have more value than say the Chicago Bears with Ron Turner calling the plays. The Bears’ conservative offense makes Jay Cutler’s Fantasy value much lower this year.

Another example is New England. The Patriots have a new O-Coordinator this year. Will the Patriots throw for touchdowns in the Red Zone like the past few years, or will they run the ball more for touchdowns?

Their offense should be more potent with QB Tom Brady back, but there is some doubt there. Some teams whose players are more valuable based on their coaching philosophy are the Saints, Patriots, Cardinals, Falcons, Eagles, Cowboys, and believe it or not, the Kansas City Chiefs.

Atlanta Hawks: 10 Must-See Home Games Before The All-Star Game

Jack Bender — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:46:49 -0400

October 30—Washington Wizards

The second game of the season shouldn't be that important, but this game is big for the Hawks. Washington is going to be the most improved team in the East in 2010. The Wizards brought in Flip Saunders as head coach. He has had more NBA success than Hawks coach Mike Woodson. Of course, Saunders did have Kevin Garnett in Minnesota.

The additions of Mike Miller and Randy Foye coupled with Gilbert Arenas’ return from injury make the Wizards very dangerous for the Hawks. The Wizards should make the playoffs this year.

November 7—Denver Nuggets

With their playoff performance and Chauncey Billups, the Nuggets have become one of the elite teams in the NBA. They are in a small group of teams with NBA championship aspirations. Hawks fans should be wondering who is going to guard Carmelo Anthony?

This early-season match-up is the Hawks only home game amidst a 6 game road trip that includes a tough West Coast swing. The Hawks will need a big win in Philips Arena.

November 16—Portland Trailblazers

Brandon Roy is worth the price of admission (Hawks need to look at his extension in current talks with Joe Johnson), but the big question for Portland is whether or not Greg Oden is going to be able to start and give them quality minutes this season without getting injured.

With the lack of big men in the Hawks front line, the home fans will be impressed with Portland’s big men. I would take Przbilla right now and start him beside Al Horford.

November 18—Miami Heat

This Southeast Division home rematch from the 2009 Playoffs will be a huge game Atlanta. The Hawks and Heat likely will be competing all season for playoff seeding and the home court advantage was the difference in the playoffs this year. The Hawks won Game 7 because the game was played in Philips Arena.

The Heat should be better with improved play from Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley, but if they are relying on Jermaine O’Neal again in the post, the Hawks should have the advantage.

D-Wade is worth the price of admission himself and Hawks analysts will be watching to see if Mike Woodson double teams him if the game is close in the fourth quarter. Man, I hope so.

November 26—Orlando Magic

Dwight Howard returns to his hometown as a superstar. In about a year’s time, Howard has gone from being an All-Star to a global superstar almost as big as LeBron and Kobe. He earned NBA Defensive Player of the Year last season and led his team to the NBA Finals. However, his Q-rating has soared with a ton of commercials to his road trip around the U.S. this summer. All the stars in Atlanta should be at this game.

The Hawks will have four off days to prepare for this game, so they should be ready. Vince Carter killed Atlanta in two early season games last year, but he isn't the screen and roll player that Hedo Turkoglu was for the Magic.

The key match up will be Jamal Crawford playing big minutes off the bench versus the smaller, quicker Magic point guard Jameer Nelson.

December 2—Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are another team that is looking to make a move in the Eastern Conference. I like the additions of Hedo Turkoglu and Jarrett Jack as the back up point guard. The Raptors also signed Rasha Nesterovic who gave the Hawks trouble early in the season last year.

If Atlanta isn't able to extend Joe Johnson’s contract, they might be in a position to make a run at Chris Bosh in the summer of 2010. Bosh should benefit greatly from having more playmakers in the lineup. The Raptor’s Jose Calderon is one of the most underrated point guards in the Association.

December 29—Cleveland Cavaliers

King James is coming, King James is coming! LeBron put on one of the most dominating individual playoff performances this year when the Cavs swept the Hawks. He did anything that he wanted on the court offensively. A banged-up Hawks roster had no answers.

A healthy Marvin Williams would have helped, but he was out of action.

Hopefully, Shaq stays healthy and he plays in this game. This game is the kind of game that makes Atlanta's season ticket holders schedule their Christmas vacation trips around seeing LeBron and Shaq.

January 22—Charlotte Bobcats

In the past year, Coach Larry Brown has totally overhauled the Bobcats roster. Very few players have survived with Emeka Okafor being the latest player shipped out to New Orleans for Tyson Chandler.

Historically, teams under Brown improve a bunch in his second year. The Bobcats will be a tough opponent for the Hawks, and will battle for a playoff spot. Plus, Hawks fans have another great chance to boo former Hawk Boris Diaw.

February 3—LA Clippers

The Clippers...what? Yes, the Clippers are going to be an exciting NBA team this year if Baron Davis is healthy and wants to play. Rookie Blake Griffin should make an immediate impact. He would start if he were in Atlanta. Combine Griffin and Davis with young, athletic slashers like Eric Gordon and Al Thornton and the Clippers have the ingredients for a fun year in 2010.

February 5—Chicago Bulls

The Bulls' playoff run this year mirrored the Hawks run against Boston in 2008. Everyone is on the Bulls’ bandwagon for 2010. NBA analysts are predicting a big year, but I think the Bulls will still be fighting for one of the last playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. Hawks fans can't miss this big home game, because the Hawks will be right there with the Bulls fighting for a playoff spot.

Making the playoffs in the East in 2010 is going to be a battle of about six teams for four spots. That should make for some great games at the Highlight Factory a.k.a. Philips Arena this year.

Inside the Mind of Atlanta Hawks Guard Joe Johnson

Jack Bender — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:00:10 -0400

On June 1, I wrote up a very modest to-do list for Atlanta Hawks GM Rick Sund. He has taken that list to heart and has accomplished one of the best summers in the history of the Hawks franchise. However, he is making his most important move this week by trying to work out a contract extension with Joe Johnson.

On a daily basis, I only read one Atlanta Hawks blog—Bret LeGree’s Hoopinion blog which is part of the ESPN True Hoop network. LeGree is a great read because he looks at Hawks issues from a totally different perspective than I do.

He is one of these NBA stats guys in the mold of the Houston Rocket’s GM Daryl Morey. I like the new focus on statistical analysis, but I think it is a way for NBA talent evaluators to hide behind the numbers. Statistics never tell the whole story of a team or a player.

Today, LeGree is way off base in his Joe Johnson analysis. Johnson, not the Atlanta Hawks, should be wary of signing an extension. A big part of negotiating is trying to think like your adversary. Take a trip with me inside the mind of Joe Johnson.

If I am Joe Johnson...

...I figure that the Hawks simply have to find a way to work out a contract extension for me. A five-year, $75 million deal seems like a bunch of money, but it really is not for someone with my unique skill set. The only reason I can think of for me not to play out this contract and become an unrestricted free agent is the risk of injury.

...I would hope that Atlanta Hawks GM Rick Sund gets creative with an offer. The guaranteed $75 million bothers me much less than the five-years. Would I consider a shorter extension for yearly raises? Is a three-year deal worth $50 million more palatable to me? Maybe, I would accept a two-year extension with a player option and a trade kicker. That kind of deal gives both sides flexibility without mortgaging my future or the Hawks’ future.

...I have to wonder what more I need to do to demand the respect of Hawks fans. In the two biggest games in the past decade of Hawks history, I carried the team to wins. I took overthe fourth quarter of Game 6 versus the Celtics in Round 1 of the 2009 playoffs. Hawks fans were dancing in the streets and high-fiving each other outside of Philips Arena.

Then, this year in Game 7 against the Heat, I scored, rebounded, hit big shots, and created for my teammates. I was the best all-around player on the court. We won a playoff series in a Game 7 for Pete’s sake!

...I do not see another All-Star on the roster in 2009-2010. Will Al Horford be in better shape this year? Can Horford be a consistent double figure scorer and more importantly a double figure rebounder?

...I would be thinking about whether or not Atlanta can compete for an NBA championship in the next five years.

...I do not see how the Hawks are going to win with only a three man front court rotation. Al Horford and Josh Smith are too small for their starting positions.

...I would be wondering if Josh Smith is ever going to mature and become an All-Star player. Plus, I have to deal with this guy playing hard one night a week.

...I look at the roster and realize that again this year I am going to have to guard the other team’s best perimeter player in every close game. Jeff Teague and Mike Bibby are not guarding Kobe, Hedo, or Vince Carter in crunch time.

Marvin Williams can guard someone, you say? Yes, he can if he plays in the big games. A 23-year-old guys with back problems that walks like he is a 49-year-old cab driver worries me.

...I might tell my agent that Dwayne Wade and Lebron are going to re-sign with their teams. Kobe is going to stay with the Lakers. Chris Bosh will leave Toronto, but he is going to Miami or Cleveland for less money to play with one of these other stars. The summer of 2010 might end up being the summer of Joe Johnson.

Watt-Lanta: Who's Who in the ATL Sports Talk Radio War

Jack Bender — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:11:53 -0400

There is a low-intensity conflict being waged between the two local sports talk radio stations in the city of Atlanta. Sports fans are the beneficiaries. Competition leads to improvement.

790 the Zone is the upstart, hip David to the ESPN-backed 680 the Fan’s Goliath. Football season in the South is a war and these two will be skirmishing all season long.

790 is killing 680 with their web site, but 680 has the power in more ways than one. 680 just scored the Atlanta Braves for next season.

That is very big, but the addition of the Florida Gators on the radio definitely will make some listeners turn the up the radio dial.

In no particular order, here is my breakdown of the local on-air sports talk radio personalities (one note: I consider the 2 Live Stews national radio personalities):

Nick Cellini: You almost listen these days wanting Cellini to go off the reservation a little bit. I like his crazier radio persona better than on his television show. He gives solid insight on television, but the juicier private life stuff has calmed a bit on the radio.

Celini brings the energy every morning, but the hatred of Brett Favre has gone a little overboard.

He is the best person on this list at carrying the radio show when the boss (Steak) is out. When just Cellini and Dimino are on, Mayhem in the AM the show does not lose a beat.

Chris Dimino: I call Dimino the ‘voice of reason’ in the Mayhem and the AM team. He actually is a journalist that could cover a sport. Dimino can show up in the locker room or dugout and hold his own.

Dimino actually has gravitas. He respects the game of baseball and the history of sports. I could not agree more with his opinion this week on the Steroid question.

Dimino is probably the only guy on this list that I would want doing a serious interview with a sports legend.

Steak Shapiro: It is hard for me to think about Steak without thinking about the picture Deadspin ran in their articles earlier this year detailing the Steak versus John Rocker encounter. Hilarious.

He is great at arguing his point. Great radio when Steak stirs up Atlanta over the Mike Vick and Danny Heatley comparisons. I need more gambling and wagering stories.

Yeah, oh by the way I miss Cacie Johnson’s presence on Mayhem and the AM. This girl was a solid addition to the morning broadcast. The voice is sexy. She sounds hot on the radio which brings a flirty element to the show.

Mayhem needs that younger voice, because lets face it, these guys are all white dudes over 40 with kids. Sounds like she needs to drop the boyfriend, though.

Brandon Adams and Jeff Woolverton: I have never listened to their show, so I cannot really comment on it. Some of the Adams stuff from the 790 the Zone Frat House earlier this year was classic. I usually listen to Colin Cowherd on ESPN.

Mike Bell: For me, Bell is the best host for a radio show. He can do sports, but I think he could host a show on politics or whatever.

Actual sports talk is not his forte, but the entertainment value is sky high. You pretty much can team him with anyone and make a show work. Bell is not afraid to say what he feels and make people angry. No fear.

I like the contrast between the cop's son aspect of his background and the willingness to party like a rock star...the thin blue line meets the Cheetah line dance.

I would party with this guy one weekend at the Beau Rivage Casino in Mississippi just to see if I could survive. You could put just about anyone with Bell and make a good show...

David Pollack: What can I say about Pollack? Nothing much. I respect his football career a ton and he grows on me a little everyday, but he needs to come up with some more original thoughts on sports topics. He probably will be much better this football season than last.

I like the contrast between Pollack’s “ahh shucks” naivety and Bell’s over the top party persona, but to make this show work you almost need a sports fanatic opposite Bell. Pollack does not have the chops to argue with Bell…yet.

Buck Belue: The voice is smooth and golden. Belue reminds me of an old-timer sitting around talking about the high school football team. I would listen to Buck talk about sports in the local diner on a Saturday morning over coffee. He is one guy on this list that played athletics at a high level.

I am surprised that Georgia did not put him on its college football broadcast. His rant this year about the Braves was the essence of what sports talk radio is all about.

He has sarcasm, wit, and interesting takes on sports and life. Belue can break down the specifics of actually playing the game, a rare commodity in this town.

Jon Kincaid: When Kincaid and Buck Belue are working together, Kincaid is one of the best in the city. He takes on all comers and backs up his opinions.

I rarely agree with the guy politically, but he is not an apologist for these athletes and their sometime bad behaviors. Belue and Kincaid are a great team.

Kincaid is fine by himself and he can carry the show, but his inability to see other sides to an issue hurts him when Belue is not in the booth.

When he is on Sunday mornings, he needs to bring a lighter, perspective with some better analogies and more interesting points of view.

Chuck Oliver: There is no one in Atlanta that can give you more information on college football and obscure college football teams. If I wanted to wager on some random college football game, I would take advice from Oliver.

He knows players, does his homework, and works on making sure he knows the sports information.

Beyond football, not really sure he even cares. That is okay because football is king in the South. Chuck is a ham-and-egger who has carved out a great niche for himself in the sports business. I am jealous.

Matt Chernoff: Chuck and Chernoff is a great show. I listen to portions of the show every day. Chernoff is great at playing off Oliver and nailing him during the show.

Across the broad spectrum of Atlanta sports, Chernoff is not afraid to bring strong opinions and back them up.

He is one of the few guys in this town that I listen to when he talks about the NBA. Lately, when Oliver has been out and not on the show, Chernoff is not as good. The solo show does not work as well.

Christopher Rude: This is guy is rock solid on this morning show. He has perspective on issues, because he does not sound like the sports fan type.

Rude brings a comedic and fun element to a show that is pretty conservative. He chats up the weather girls.

He asks some great questions during interviews as well. You might describe him as young at heart and a little rock and roll. If you put me in the booth with him and Leo Mazzone, I would have that show rolling. Leo might kill me, but it might be a great show.

Leo Mazzone: It is criminal that Leo Mazzone does not have a job in Major League Baseball. Listen up, coaching matters. I don’t care if you have great starters. Every pitcher has to be managed and there are 12 on every roster.

That is half the players on the team! Every day that Leo does not work in the Majors is a day that some team is losing a quality pitching coach.

On the radio, Leo gets better almost everyday. The laugh is infectious and his self-deprecating demeanor is perfect for this town.

Rude does a good job of getting him loosey-goosey. Leo is the ultimate apologist for the pro athlete and that is where he loses me sometimes.

I think he knows he has to walk a careful line, because he wants to get back into the Major Leagues at some point. He has great stories from the minors and insight into some of Atlanta’s favorite sons of the Braves.

Perry Laurentino: I do not know any of these people, but Perry strikes me as “Jon Kincaid Lite”. He has the conservative leanings, but not the teeth of a Kincaid. He is serviceable on the radio, but he does not inspire me to call in or e-mail the show.

I respect his deference to Leo in real life, but not on the radio. He does not really tell any great sports stories or seem to go to any games.

Disclaimer: I wrote a Fantasy Football column for Score Atlanta last year and want to again this year. They are affiliated with 790 the Zone. I do not know any of these people and I have a job where I get the chance to listen to the radio on the Internet.

Waiting for Amar'e Stoudemire: How the Atlanta Hawks' Offseason Hinges on STAT

Jack Bender — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:08:47 -0400

In the Beckett play Waiting for Godot, the two characters are patiently waiting for Godot to show up. While waiting, they talk some and wonder what will happen when Godot shows up.

That is exactly what Hawks fans are doing with the possible trade for Phoenix Suns superstar Amar'e Stoudemire.

Stoudemire is the perfect fit for this Hawks roster. Hawks GM Rick Sund has made almost all the right moves this summer (I would have taken Eric Maynor instead of Jeff Teague). He kept the core group of Hawks together without destroying the payroll. But, the Hawks still are a middle of the pack team in an improving Eastern Conference.

Sund needs to trade for Amar'e. Trading for Stoudemire would elevate this team into the conversation for an Eastern Conference title. Forget about the money and Stoudemire’s player option after next year. The Hawks can do a deal with the Suns for the Joshes.

Let’s dream a little dream for 2010. Why does getting Stoudemire makes sense for the Hawks?

From day one, Stoudemire gives you a low post scoring presence that demands a double team. I watched this guy destroy the Hawks in the post last year in a mid-season game in Philips Arena.

His short jump hook from the left block is a devastating move. Plus, he has counter moves and can score with either hand around the basket.

For his career, Stoudemire averages more than 20 points a game, but he does not demand a large number of shots. He averages about 14-15 shots per game. One of the weakest areas for the Hawks in the playoffs against the Cavs was their lack of offensive execution.

The Hawks just do not have great set plays.

Stoudemire solves that dilemma. You can isolate him on the block, run the high screen and roll with Al Horford coming from low post to high post, or Stoudemire can screen and pop for a patented 20 foot jump shot or a dump down to Horford on the block.

Defensively, Stoudemire is only serviceable in the post, but he is long and blocks shots around the rim. The best part of his game for the Hawks will be the rebounding. He grabs over 8 boards a game in his career.

That means the Hawks would have Horford and Stoudemire averaging almost 20 boards a game from the starting bigs.

Plus, Horford is going to guard the other team’s best player in screen and roll situations. Stoudemire can stay closer to the rim and clog up the lane.

Looking at next 2010, the Hawks would have a two-man post defensive tandem to guard Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace, Shaq and Anderson Varejao, and Dwight Howard and Brandon Bass.

I even might take Stoudemire and Horford over those other tandems.

Off the court, acquiring Stoudemire means a ton to the Hawks in attendance. Atlanta was 20th in the NBA in attendance in 2008-2009. Philips Arena was at about 88 percent capacity on average. Stoudemire would pay for himself in increased attendance, parking revenue, marketing revenue, and general hype in this city.

Every night? I know Stoudemire is often injured. Reports are he had surgery this week on his damaged eye from last year.

In his 7 seasons in the NBA, he has only played full seasons 4 times. It is a concern, but when he is healthy Stoudemire is a 1st or 2nd team All NBA player. Hawks have no one else at that level.

For Stoudemire, being traded to Atlanta gives him the opportunity he has craved. Stoudemire immediately becomes the face of the franchise in Atlanta. He no longer lingers somewhat in Steve Nash’s shadow.

Also, he would be a soothing and funny presence in the locker room.

He takes all the pressure of Joe Johnson. JJ can just show up for all 82 games and play hard without having to worry about all of this ridiculous “Joe is not a leader talk”. Joe Johnson is a warrior. He comes to play every night.

If Stoudemire is a Hawk, here are projected rotations for the top teams in the East:

Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Rasheed Wallace

Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, Brandon Bass, Dwight Howard

Moe Williams, Delonte West, LeBron James, Anderson Varejao, Shaquille O'Neal

Mike Bibby, JJ, Marvin Williams, Stoudemire, Horford, Jamal Crawford

On paper, the Hawks match up very well with all of these teams. You think Shaq wants to guard Stoudemire in the pick and roll? Jamal Crawford looks to be one of the best guards off the bench in the entire NBA.

In recent NBA playoff history, I would much rather have Joe Johnson than Vince Carter.

In Stoudemire, Horford, and Zaza Pachulia the Hawks have three guys that can try to guard Dwight Howard.

For Atlanta Hawks fans, the days / deadlines to watch for this are July 15th and August 1st. To make this deal happen, the Hawks are going to have to sign Josh Childress somehow. I think if J-Chill thought he was going to Phoenix he would sign today.

Secondly, after August 1st, the Hawks are able to trade Josh Smith without his consent to the trade. Hawks fans, can you imagine waking up in early August with Amare Stoudemire on your door step? It can’t hurt to dream.

Atlanta Hawks, Is Mr. Anderson our Neo?

Jack Bender — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:21:11 -0400

David Anderson is coming.

I woke up this morning to Atlanta sports talk station 790 the Zone, talking about the Atlanta Hawks 2002 NBA draft choice coming to the States to replace Zaza Pachulia.

Is Anderson the one player that the Hawks have been looking for to solve their front court problems with the eminent departure of the mercurial Zaza Pachulia?

Is he the one, our neo, our Mr. Anderson? Probably not, I prefer the Mr. Anderson known as the Birdman. I am leery of counting on someone that would be an NBA rookie. I know he is a professional, but playing in the NBA is a whole different level of competition.

What if David Anderson is the Neo that the city of Atlanta has been waiting for?

What if David Anderson is the one, the one answer to every sports dilemma in the ATL. Anderson, the professional sports problem solver, a rescuer, a panacea, if you will, for all ailments on the Atlanta sports scene. The answer to every Atlanta sports fan’s wildest dreams in 2009.

Neo had to save humanity from the Matrix, but David Anderson only must tackle ten tough tasks.

Here is a quick list of the top ten tasks facing Mr. Anderson who likely is wearing some black sunglasses after arriving from Europe on a charter jet, you know this is a fantasy article if Mr. Anderson were the one, would the Atlanta Spirit Group cough up the money to charter a jet for him, probably not.

1. Bring some power hitting and run production to the Braves’ outfield. Anderson could play left field, hit for power, drive in runs, and fix Jeff Francoeur’s swing. All Frenchie needs is a cool mate to tweak his swing. Anderson can be that guy.

2. Work with Derek Lowe on his mechanics. Anderson has some insight to get the sinker ball to sink again. All he would have to do is describe to Lowe the basic physics behind the boomerang and Lowe can get the sinker sinking again.

3. Anderson can give Braves GM Frank Wren advice on how to deal with aging washed up pitchers. Remember how Bodi tutored Johnny Utah in the movie Point Break? Anderson has that beach vibe, zen master attitude to help Wren with player relations. With his ability to see into the future, Anderson probably would not even have signed Glavine in the first place.

4. Can David Anderson rush the passer in the NFL? At the very least he can knock down a few passes for the Atlanta Falcons’ defense. You know what else David Anderson can do for Defensive Coordinator Brian VanGorder--he can play linebacker and cover a back out of the backfield or a tight end on 3^rd down.

5. For the Hawks, Anderson has to mediate the Mike Woodson versus Josh Smith dispute. Anderson is Australian, so he can get these guys together over a blooming onion, some shrimp, and a couple of cold Foster’s. You can purchase a few pints at any grocery store. DA can explain what a “good shot” is to Josh Smith, while coaching up Woody on how to win close games in the 4^th quarter. DA also has spent time in Europe, so he is familiar with the word “détente”.

6. Another task for Anderson is to find a billionaire Russion oil magnate to buy out the Atlanta Spirit Group. Someone with very deep pockets--Mark Cuban-like deep pockets. I mean Jason Kidd for three years and 25 million dollars. That contract might rival Speedy Claxton's deal from a few years ago.

7. If he can mediate that dispute, Anderson surely can bring Bobby Cox and Yunel Escobar closer together. See reasons above, but also I am positive that Anderson is the one guy that could get Bobby Cox to embrace Latino culture. Of course, Escobar might not listen, but I read on Wikipedia that Anderson speaks fluent Spanish.

8. How can Anderson help the Falcons’ offense? Protecting Falcons’ franchise QB Matt Ryan is a great job for Anderson. He definitely has longer arms than Sam Baker.

9. Goalie for the Atlanta Thrashers. I don’t talk hockey, but I am sure Anderson can stand on his head for a few games in the NHL playoffs. I guess the Thrashers have to get there first.

10. Can you imagine the kind of statistics that DA would put up for the WNBA Atlanta Dream? He automatically gives the Dream a presence in the middle and someone to match up with the Sparks’ Candace Parker. It kind of scares me that I know Parker plays for the Sparks, but I am still upset with Sheldon Williams, Billy Knight, and Coach K for making it seem like Williams could play in the NBA.

The State of the Atlanta Hawks on the First Day of NBA Free Agency

Jack Bender — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:20:53 -0400

Today was July 1st, the first day of NBA free agency and the offseason moves are already in full swing. Reportedly, the Detroit Pistons have reached agreements with Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. The contract numbers for these two guys are going to be scrutinized by other free agents to see what kind of economic climate really exists in the NBA.

Fans of the Atlanta Hawks have to be a little nervous. Two teams that finished behind the Hawks in the Eastern Conference already have made moves to improve their teams. The Pistons are one, but the Washington Wizards have also improved their roster dramatically.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic have made blockbuster trades that may or may not improve their teams. I am a big believer in Vince Carter, but the Magic are really going to miss Hedo Turkoglu’s locker room presence, shooting touch, and passing ability.

The Villanueva signing actually should help the Hawks. It sets a salary range for some of the Hawks' free agents and it might cause some player movement that benefits Atlanta.

To try and calm the fear and anxiety of the Hawks' nation, I have looked into my crystal ball, crunched the numbers, weighed the pros and cons, tallied up the salaries, consulted a Taro card reader, asked some mall shoppers at Lenox, and mined my many sources of information in the city of Atlanta.

The Hawks are going to be better in 2009-2010 and here are the reasons why:

1. Mike Bibby will not be a Hawk next year, but Flip Murray will re-sign with Atlanta. According to a recent ranking, Bibby was the 46th highest-paid athlete in the United States last year. Unfortunately for him, there is no market for a player like that in the NBA.

The ridiculous number of point guards drafted in the first round last week and his obvious defensive problems have really hurt Bibby. I think he might end up reuniting with Rick Adelman and the Houston Rockets on a two-year deal.

Flip Murray is going to be a Hawk. For some reason, I think Flip has a loyalty to Rick Sund after almost being taken out of the NBA last season. Doubling his salary for one year to $3 million probably will not hurt that loyalty.

2. Marvin Williams will be an Atlanta Hawk next year. If I were giving advice to Marvin, I would tell him to sign the Hawks’ qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2010 when there are going to be some big names available. But I do not think many of these guys will change teams (although it sounds like Joe Johnson might be leaving the ATL).

Williams could play himself into a bigger contract if he stays healthy and maybe has some big playoff performances for Atlanta in the spring of 2010. Williams was much improved this season, he is still young, and he made a bigger commitment to the defensive end of the floor this past year.

Williams has similar numbers to Villanueva. I would take him over the twittering Villanueva in a heartbeat. If Williams would sign an offer sheet with another team for Villanueva type dollars—five years for $35 million—the Hawks definitely would match that contract.

Williams is worth that money. I would prefer to sign him for fewer years, but I think the Hawks would be stupid not to match at that point. In either case, Williams is going to be in Atlanta next season.

3. Josh Childress is not coming back this season. Childress is going to ride out this summer and spend next year in Greece. There are a myriad of factors at work here including the depressed American economy, the likelihood that NBA teams are going to spend more next summer, and Childress’ hurt feelings.

J-Chill would not be a starter for the Hawks next season. Marvin clearly has surpassed him as a player. Another year in Greece probably lowers Childress value to NBA teams anyway. The rights to Childress are falling in value, but I think the Hawks will be able to include him in a trade package at the trading deadline next February.

4. GM Rick Sund is going to sign a free agent big man or two. Zaza Pachulia is not going to be with the Hawks next year. The moves I have proposed should still allow the Hawks to spend about $10 million in salary to fill out the roster.

Solomon Jones and Randolph Morris will be back at fairly low salaries, but the Hawks need a player that plays with passion and attacks the offensive and defensive boards. Besides Al Horford, the Hawks are soft on the glass.

I really like Anderson Varejao, but I am not sure that Hawks want to make another long-term commitment to an inside player when they are eventually going to commit to Horford. Varejao looks to be asking for a bigger deal than I would give him.

With the Villanueva signing, Antonio McDyess should be on the way out of Detroit. The Hawks probably can get McDyess for the mid-level salary exception which is around $5 million.

I know McDyess is old, but he looks to be a great role model for the Hawks' young inside players. He might be able to show Josh Smith what it means to be a professional player and bring a work ethic to the game of basketball. He might also teach him how to shoot from the outside.

If the Hawks cannot get McDyess, I really like Brandon Bass from the Dallas Mavericks. You would definitely have to make a longer contract commitment to Bass than to McDyess, but Bass will not command Villanueva money. You might be able to sign Bass for a similar contract to the one Zaza signed four years ago—four years and $16 million.

5. Lastly, there are a few big men available, true centers unlike Big Al, that the Hawks should consider. Luke Nevill, the seven-footer from Australia who played in high school in nearby Marietta, GA is intriguing. The big center from Utah is definitely a guy that can make an NBA roster. He reminds me of a poor man’s Joel Pryzbilla. He is worth a look, because Randolph Morris probably will never see the court.

These predictions leave the Hawks with this nine-man rotation on July 31:

Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Al Horford, Jamal Crawford, Flip Murray, Jeff Teague, Mo Evans, Antonio McDyess (or Brandon Bass)

I like the variety of five-man combinations that could be on the court with these guys. You are still missing a true vocal leader, but McDyess is a championship caliber player who has played in the Eastern Conference finals over the last few years. He is a strong presence that other players will listen to in the Hawks locker room.

My big fear is that Joe Johnson is starting to be mentioned in articles as a big name free agent for next year. JJ could be the Pippen to Lebron’s Jordan. That scares me. Hawks’ fans should not forget Johnson was being mentioned as a possible MVP candidate in late December of this season.

The solution is for the Hawks to extend JJ an fair offer and for Johnson to sign that contract. Please, Joe, for my peace of mind.

With the 49th Pick the Atlanta Hawks Select...

Jack Bender — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:34:27 -0400

What a great picture. Goran Suton hugging Tom Izzo?

This might look good with Suton in a red Atlanta Hawks jersey hugging Izzo after a big win in Philips Arena in 2010.

Okay, it is a dream, but Izzo almost took this job once. We might need radical change next summer.

Days like today epitomize why it's often so frustrating to be an Atlanta Hawks fans. The San Antonio Spurs made a deal to acquire Richard Jefferson from the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Spurs gave up nothing even though Jefferson almost equals Manu Ginobili as a player. Bruce Bowen will be bought out, Kurt Thomas is old, and Oberto has a bad heart. Jefferson would have fit in perfectly with Joe Johnson and Al Horford.

This radical Spurs' move is exactly what the Hawks need to make this year to improve their standing in the Eastern Conference. Instead, we are left with no options but to turn our attention to the NBA draft about 48 hours from now.

With the no. 19 pick in the first round, the Hawks need to take one of these three players: Eric Maynor, Sam Young, or BJ Mullens. I would be happy with any of these picks for reasons that I have been writing about for the last month.

Stay away from Teague and Hansbrough.

The Hawks also have a late second round selection. Some might think this is a throw away pick, but the Hawks' lack of depth was one of their most glaring weaknesses in 2008-09.

Here are two players that the Hawks should consider depending on if they draft big or small in the first round:

Jeremy Pargo, Gonzaga. Pargo is a big point guard at 6'2, 220 pounds. His body and physical style of play remind me of a young Chauncey Billups. Pargo's statistics this year at Gonzaga will not blow anyone away. He averaged 10 points and 5 assists per game, but he only played about 30 minutes per game.

Gonzaga's team first philosophy is not conducive to a single player putting up huge stats, but Pargo did play with two other guys who are going to be drafted on Thursday night. The Zags might be the only team with three players going in the 2009 draft.

Most people have forgotten, but in the 2007-08 season he was Gonzaga's best player and the WCC player of the year. If the Hawks re-sign Bibby, Pargo is the perfect change of pace player. He is more of a penetrator and a guy that can get all the way to the rim and finish.

Pargo also benefits from the fact that his brother Jannero has been an NBA veteran. He knows how to carry himself and he will not be awed by the talent level.

Goran Suton, Michigan State. Every basketball fan knows what Suton was able to accomplish in this year's NCAA tournament. Against the best teams, he had double figures in points and rebounds.

He averaged 19.5 points and 9.5 rebounds against Kansas and Louisville in the Midwest Regional. Kansas' center could not come out on the perimeter and guard Suton. He stretches the defense with his perimeter shooting.

I like the way this guy competes and his toughness. The Hawks are desperate for a tough player with rebounding skills. Suton is a cheaper alterative to Zaza Pachulia. Suton gives you more shooting and passing skills than Zaza. He was third on the Spartans in assists this season.

He is a big guy and he should get in better shape in the NBA. That will lead to some more quickness. He is big enough to guard centers and allow Horford to play some at the power forward.

The Hawks need a big draft night on Thursday. Both players they select need to be able to make this roster and fill out the spots on the bench. Woodson (and maybe Tom Izzo in 2010) has to have better options than Thomas Gardner, Randolph Morris, and Mario West.

Atlanta Hawks: Trade Josh Smith and Lose AJC Writer Mark Bradley?

Jack Bender — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:35:49 -0400

Atlanta Journal Constitution columnist Mark Bradley has reached into his proverbial sock and thrown the red challenge flag. I wish we could take him up on the offer.

Bradley writes that the Hawks will lose him if they trade Josh Smith for anyone other than Kobe Bryant. That statement is utterly ridiculous.

Here is the news cycle of today’s sports world: one NBA insider named Chad Ford can hear a few rumors from NBA general managers and publish those rumors as rumors in a notes section of his NBA draft column.

Then, an intrepid columnist from the local Atlanta media, like Bradley, can reference that notes section in a quickie article to try and drum up page views, web site hits, and erratic fan comments on his sports blog.

Then, a concerned Hawks observer like me can take apart Bradley’s article. Classic Bleacher Report fodder—I could argue with Bradley for hours over beers about his article today about the Hawks mercurial forward Josh Smith. (I don’t know if he is a small forward or power forward and that is part of the problem).

I spent about 15 minutes today at work and I came up with 50 players that I would rather have on my team than Josh Smith.

Okay, I think Smith is improving and worth keeping, but c’mon, are you going to win an NBA title with Josh Smith?

If you throw out the salaries, contracts, and budgets, there are over 50 NBA players that I would take over Smith. Here are a few—Hedo, Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, Andrew Bynum, Brandon Roy, Paul Pierce…

Yao Ming, Paul Millsap, Carlos Boozer, Nene, Chris Anderson, Kendrick Perkins, Amare Stoudemire, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, 'Melo, Thaddeus Young, Brook Lopez, Vince Carter, Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, Danny Granger, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose…I could go on, but you get the idea.

Well, Bradley might say not all of those guys are power forwards. Neither is Kobe. FYI, J-Smoove does not want to play power forward. He wants to play on the perimeter. Al Horford should really be your power forward.

I like Josh Smith. I am the first person to jump out of my seat when he dunks or blocks a shot. He is as athletic as anyone in the NBA. Maybe only LeBron is more athletic. Maybe, but Smith is not even a top-30 NBA player.

He will be lucky to make the All Star team in two years, let alone be better than Hawks guard Joe Johnson. He is the third-best player on his own team and I think Bibby had a better year than Smith had this year, so that makes him the Hawks fourth option on offense. The future of this team is Al Horford.

If Bradley had to coach Smith, he would start drinking every morning about 9 am. Smith is kind of like Jeff Francoeur.

No matter how many times hitting coach Terry Pendleton tells Frenchy to make sure he sees pitches in every at bat, he continues to swing at the first pitch. No matter how many times Coach Mike Woodson tells Smith not to shoot jumpers, he still shoots jumpers.

Are you going to blame that on Pendleton, on Woodson?

Listen, J-Smoove is going to be hard to move because of the $6 million trade kicker that Chad Ford from ESPN reports in his column. But, that does not mean that GM Rick Sund should not pursue any opportunity to improve this Hawks team. A huge chasm exists between the Hawks and the top three teams in the Eastern Conference.

Mr. Bradley threw out some names that he would not want in exchange for Smith. Let’s take a look at a couple of these guys and some trade scenarios.

I would definitely consider a deal today for Chris Bosh. With Bosh, the Hawks would have a legitimate shot to improve in the East next year. Yes, he is in the last year of his deal. That just means two things: he is going to play great next year and you have a year to convince him to re-sign with the Hawks. He might just fall back in love with the city of Atlanta.

Imagine the kind of financial freedom that would give the Hawks for the free agency bonanza of NBA summer 2010. If Joe Johnson wants to explore free agency, the Hawks might be able to convince Bosh to re-sign and bring Dwayne Wade to the ATL. You could have both Wade and Bosh for two or three more years.

Bradley just goes off the deep end when he says he would not trade Smith for the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. Blake Griffin’s tenacity, effort, desire, and will to win, especially on the glass, would make Bradley forget about Josh Smith about four games into the 2009-2010 regular season.

Griffin in the starting lineup makes the Hawks a better team next year. It would also free up a ton of money to sign someone else—Hedo Turkoglu for instance. Think about this lineup: Mike Bibby or Eric Maynor, Joe Johnson, Turkoglu, Blake Griffin, and Al Horford. You could bring Marvin Williams, Flip Murray, Mo Williams, Sam Young, and some other free-agent big man off the bench.

Season ticket sales would be sky high. The Hawks would be must see NBA action every night.

Okay, these trades seem far-fetched. How about a legitimate trade option? You mean, Mr. Bradley, that you would not trade Josh Smith for Monta Ellis? That trade would be great for the Hawks. I think the salary and year numbers are close enough to match up. This actually might be a workable trade.

GM Rick Sund needs to explore every scenario this summer to improve the Hawks. This team is at a crossroads. It has to get better.

Sund might be floating Josh Smith rumors so Joe Johnson will sign his extension thinking that Smith is on his way out. He might be floating Smith’s name out there, but really trying to deal Joe Johnson. Uh, that would be a big mistake.

I would just like someone to do some digging and find out some real news! Call and ask Sund a question. The problem might be that good analysis does not really translate into page views, while a picture of Megan Fox sitting on a bathtub wrapped in a towel does. By the way, AJC, please give Sekou Smith a picture on his Hawks blog.

Atlanta Hawks, Please Don't Take Jeff Teague

Jack Bender — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:16:49 -0400

Mr. Sund please do not take Jeff Teague. Please take Sam Young, or Eric Maynor, or even B.J. Mullens.

The NBA is fantastic. Last night’s game between the LA Lakers and the Orlando Magic was as good as it gets in the NBA. The game had a great flow and the players were able to cut and move offensively without being grabbed and hand checked. Over the past ten years, I have been steadily changing from a college basketball guy to an NBA guy. The NBA level of play in the past few years has been scintillating.

Watching the game makes me excited for the Atlanta Hawks draft and free agent season this summer. The rumors that Joe Johnson wants to test the free agent market are disturbing, but summer 2010 is a long way off. I want to focus on the positives going into the draft.

In this article, I take the players from number 15-24 in CNN sportswriter Ian Thomsen’s most recent NBA mock draft, and break down how these players could fit in with the Hawks next season. All of these players have a reasonable shot at being available for the Hawks to select with the 19th pick in the 2009 draft.

B.J. Mullens: I am an Ohio guy, so I have been hearing about Mullens for a few years. I am a skeptic, but the recent measurements coming out of the Chicago pre-draft camp have made me rethink this. Mullens is big, very big.

The big questions are his heart, desire, work ethic, and rebounding ability. He barely averaged five rebounds per game at Ohio State this year. However, he also scored better once he started playing the Big Ten conference season.

I have flipped on Mullens and if he is available at 19, the Hawks have to take him. The Hawks could bring him along slowly, but eventually he could start along side Al Horford inside. That front line would be good enough in time to win a conference title.

Earl Clark: Honestly, I do not know much about Clark or the Louisville team. I like his size and that he played in the Big East. From some research, he kind of reminds me of Rashard Lewis with his size and offensive ability facing the basket. With the probable return of Marvin Williams, the Hawks are solid at the small forward position.

Eric Maynor: He is the best of the point guards who still will be on the board at this time of the draft. Maynor’s stock seems to have slipped because of his weight, but that does not make any sense to me. NBA teams are not beating people posting up their point guards. Maynor is big and has the wingspan to cause havoc on the defensive end.

He is not going to wow anyone with his jump shot, but he knows how to run a team and create scoring opportunities for teammates. The Hawks need a point guard desperately, but they need someone that can play right away. He is a four-year player who can step in right away and play 20-25 minutes for the Hawks off the bench.

Austin Daye: Daye probably has the most upside of any player outside of the lottery. He seems most comfortable playing on the perimeter. He looks about as solid as Tayshaun Prince in ninth grade. Prince has defensive skills to guard and Daye is more noted for his offensive game. The scary part is that he could either end up being a Dirk Nowitzki or a Jonathan Bender. I pass on Daye if I am Hawks GM Rick Sund.

Jeff Teague: Ian Thomsen has the Hawks taking Teague with the 19th pick. Please, Mr. Sund, do not listen to this advice. Teague is an undersized shooting guard. These guys always have a hard time transitioning to point guard in the NBA. He had some monster games early in the college season, but faded quickly at the end. You could argue that Wake Forest was one of the most underachieving teams in college basketball this year.

Sam Young: A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article about how great Young would be in a Hawks uniform. His stock is rising. Young has the desire and hunger to be a great NBA player. He can be a tough perimeter defender and he was the best player on the court in Pittsburgh’s NCAA tourney games this year. If Maynor and Young are still on the board, this selection would be tough in my war room. I take Young over Maynor.

James Johnson: The play that Johnson made to score on the out of bounds underneath play against Duke was remarkable. He has great ball skills and hands for a man his size, but the size might be a problem. He is not really big enough to play power forward and not svelte enough to play on the perimeter.

He could turn out to be a reincarnation of Charles Barkley, though. He has shooting range and touch to stretch the defense. I would like to see him in an individual work out, because he seems to have great footwork in the post. Again, the Hawks are too solid at the forward position to take Johnson.

Gani Lawal: Hawks need to avoid Gani Lawal at all costs. Thomsen calls him a long term project. I watched a ton of Georgia Tech games this year and was not impressed with any part of Lawal’s game. He is long and somewhat defensive minded, but to me he is a second rounder in this draft.

Derrick Brown: This guy is another wild card. In this draft, there seems to be more guys without defined positions or games going in the first round. Brown is intriguing because he is so athletic and he is NBA strong. He projects as a small forward. I like Marvin, Josh Childress, and even Josh Smith better. If the Hawks were going to trade J-Smoove, I would still probably look for someone else with the 19th pick.

Tyler Hansbrough: “Psycho T” has been rising on the draft boards and it is all do to his surprising measurements from the pre-draft camp. He actually is the height and weight that Carolina has been putting in the program...only an inch or so shorter than Blake Griffin.

The problem for Hansbrough is speed. Getting up and down the floor, moving the feet on defense, and quick jumping does not seem to be his forte. The great part is that as a GM, you know what you are getting.

Hansbrough’s effort will earn fans wherever he goes in the draft. He probably will be very coachable, do what he is told to do, and go hard to both boards. He might also fight you in games and in practice. The Hawks need the fire, that is for sure. He might light a fire under someone in practice and they might be a better player for it (J-Smoove). He also can play power forward if Sund continues to believe and claim that Al Horford is a center, ugh.

Atlanta Hawks, Say Goodbye To Zaza Pachulia

Jack Bender — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:46:18 -0400

Atlanta Hawks fans be prepared to say goodbye to Zaza Pachulia. The Hawks have to upgrade at this position and use the money slotted for Zaza to find a free agent that can help close the gap with the big dogs of the NBA Eastern Conference.

Watching the NBA playoffs virtually every night for the past six weeks gives you so many options for topics to discuss. I wish I had a forum like sports talk radio hosts to talk about everything going on in the NBA and the world of sports.

Since the Atlanta Hawks were swept out of the playoffs, I have been following several Hawks analysts on blogs, Twitter, and the Hawks team web site. Most are talking about the draft coming up at the end of the month. It is an exciting time to be a Hawks fan.

A huge area of concern for most Hawks’ fans is the Zaza Pachulia question. Should the Hawks resign Zaza or should Rick Sund use Zaza’s money and try to make a splash on the free agent market?

I am torn because I still remember how fired up I was when the Hawks beat the Celtics in Game 6 of the 2008 playoffs. Heck, I even named my Hawks blog after the fiery big man from Georgia.

However, after seeing how just how huge the talent gap is between the Hawks and the Celtics, Magic, and Cavs, I know that the Hawks have to upgrade at this position.

You have to assume that GM Rick Sund already has a certain amount of money allocated to resign Zaza. Sund can make the choice between either upgrading the offense or strengthening the defense.

It kind of hurts to say this, but here are two guys that I would rather have on the Hawks’ roster than Zaza:

Anderson Varejao, Cleveland Cavaliers

The 6’10” 260 pound center only averaged 8 points and 7 rebounds per game. He averaged 11 more minutes per game than Zaza in 2008-2009. Varejao has a player option and can opt out of his contract with the Cavaliers and become an unrestricted free agent.

Remember just last year, he sat out until early December as a restricted free agent when the Cavs did not offer him a multi-year deal. That has to still sting.

Finally, the New Orleans Hornets signed him to an offer sheet and the Cavs matched the contract the next day. He signed for 2 years and 11.1 million with a player option for next year for 6.2 million.

If I were him, I think I can make more on the open market even in this very tough NBA economy. He played in every game for the Cavs and started about half the games. He played about 30 minutes a game.

He was vital to the Cavs' team defensive schemes. His statistics do not wow anyone, but this guy has a ton of intangibles.

He probably is near the top in charges taken in the NBA every year. He is very good defending out on the floor (unless he has to guard a perimeter guy like Rashard Lewis) and he is good finishing at the rim out of the high screen and roll. The Hawks are weak in all three of those areas.

Varejao is a better defender than Al Horford is right now. If the Hawks can re-sign Marvin Williams, Varejao can be the first post guy off the bench. He also would allow Coach Mike Woodson more flexibility in dealing with the volatile Josh Smith.

When Smith acts up, Varejao can start and play starter minutes. Sadly, Zaza cannot. At least not on a winning or playoff-caliber team.

He is an upgrade over Zaza in almost every area. He is quicker, a better shot blocker, rebounder, and he is better scoring around the basket in traffic. Zaza is a better perimeter shooter, but neither one of these guys should be allowed to shoot outside very often.

Maybe the best thing that excites me as a Hawks fan is the idea of Varejao and Horford playing together. Varejao would free up Horford from guarding the other team’s best inside player and allow Big Al to concentrate on his offensive game. They could dominate the boards at both ends.

Lastly, Varejao’s energy would fire up the home crowd. He has personality and toughness. In Cleveland, there are thousands of fans every night that wear the Varejao wigs to home games.

As far as dollars, Varejao may have some solid offers, but if two years ago is an indication, teams are not willing to come up with long term dollars for a guy that cannot score. I think he is worth a 3-year deal worth 20-24 million.

I have to think Zaza is looking for a 4-year deal.

Brandon Bass, Dallas Mavericks

The 6’8” 240 pound third year guy from LSU fills a totally different need for the Hawks. He played about the same minutes as Zaza last year and scored a few more points, but he is an undersized forward.

He is very athletic and his offensive game is way better than Zaza and Varejao added together. He would play a lot more minutes in a Hawks uniform. For the Mavs, he basically plays minutes behind Dirk Nowitzki or when the Mavs go to a small lineup with Dirk at the five spot.

In the playoffs, Mavs’ coach Rick Carlisle was running isolation plays for Bass on the low block. In the 4th quarter and in crucial situations! The Hawks do not have any player on the roster that can score on isolation post ups like Bass.

Read that line again. Yeah, the Hawks are weak on the post.

Horford can make a big jump offensively this summer, but if I needed a basket at the end of the game today I would go to Bass before Horford. If signed by the Hawks, Bass would automatically be the Hawks 2nd best offensive option for a one-on-one isolation play after Joe Johnson.

Bass is athletic enough to make up for his lack of size, but I would be concerned about his rebounding and defense. Bass went to LSU so coming to Atlanta and SEC country might appeal to him. Bass might even come cheaper than Pachulia or Varejao.

By some estimates, the Hawks are about 20 million dollars under the cap. I read last week in the AJC that Sund wants to keep the core intact, but a key free agent signing could keep the enthusiasm for this Hawks squad building for the 2009-2010 season.

Atlanta Hawks Notes: Mike Woodson Is Back, a Mike Bibby Sighting, and Draft Talk

Jack Bender — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:34:18 -0400

With the excitement of the NBA Conference Finals getting started and the NBA Draft Lottery last night, Atlanta Hawks fans can be excused for missing major Hawks news.

Head coach Mike Woodson is going to be back on the bench next season. Who is my source? GM Rick Sund gave Woodson the vote of confidence on Atlanta's 680 the Fan in a radio interview Tuesday morning. I wonder if anyone was even listening.

Quick memo to 680 sports talk: You are slowly being left behind by 790 the Zone. The Zone is just more exciting to listen to on a daily basis. And the 790 Web site has improved about 1,000 percent this year. The Anna Kournikova video took them to another level.

I like the move and Woodson deserves at least another year extension. Sund should look at bringing in a veteran assistant coach with an offensive background. First, the veteran Hawks players need a new voice in offensive individual instruction and in offensive set-play execution.

Al Horford and Josh Smith need someone that can convince them to come up with a package of offensive moves—moves that these guys can go to in crunch-time and in the playoffs when the defensive intensity is ratcheted up a couple of notches. Woodson needs an offensive Tom Thibodeaux-type guy.

Saturday morning I just happened to be in the Atlanta airport and I saw Mike Bibby getting on a flight for some tropical paradise.

First, I wanted to yell out to him and thank him for taking this Atlanta Hawks team to the best year in a decade. Secondly, I wanted to have him bless my son’s hands with a little bit of his shooting touch.

Instead, I just walked out the doors to the parking garage feeling like Bibby has played his last game for the Hawks.

Okay, Coach Woodson is back. That means we can start talking about what the Hawks need to do with the 19thpick. I already am on record as saying that they need to draft a point guard and trade Acie Law. This draft seems to be loaded with point guards, but I am not sure I like any of the ones that will be on the board when the Hawks are on the clock.

Here in the ATL, we know that the NBA Draft can make or break a franchise. Ask former GM Billy Knight. If he had drafted Chris Paul, I would be renewing my season tickets for the third straight season.

You only need to look at Adam Morrison in a bad moustache and great suit sitting on the L.A. Lakers bench to see what a roll of the dice some of these picks are. Morrison was being called the next Larry Bird, but he is not even the next Craig Ehlo.

The NBA Draft Lottery was last night and I will complete a mock draft in the next few weeks. In the meantime, here is one player the Hawks should take a hard look at on draft night and one player they should avoid like the Swine Flu:

Take a hard look at Sam Young from Pittsburgh. I know the Hawks need a point guard with this pick. I know Young is older and played a lot off the bench in his career. I also know that he was more dominant on the offensive end of the floor than any other player in this year’s NCAA tournament.

He carried Pitt at times. I also think his perimeter skills are somewhat underrated. He finishes with authority at the rim and he brings a toughness that the Hawks lack. Young will out-work other guys in this draft to improve his game. In my opinion, Sam Young is the toughest wing defender and most NBA-ready player in this draft.

Avoid Austin Daye of Gonzaga like the Swine Flu. I know his father played professionally. I know he supposedly has ridiculous upside and potential.

Granted, I didn't see him play that much this year, but the write-ups about him on a lot of mock draft boards are coded with words that to me scream out, “This guy is soft. He will not bang inside. He will not rebound.”

Daye will come to Atlanta and get lost in the glittering lights of Midtown. There are a lot of distractions in this city.

I still think the Hawks can sign a big-name free agent for one or two years. Jason Kidd might want to go to Cleveland or San Antonio (to play off the ball), but he could come to Atlanta on a two-year deal and give the Hawks a chance to close the gap with the Big Three in the Eastern Conference.

Ron Artest is making statements indicating he might want out of Houston if they do not offer him more than a one-year deal. I mean, Artest only made about $9 million last year. The Hawks could offer him two years and $20 million—to me that is a bargain.

The NBA is in full-throttle this time of year and Hawks fans should enjoy the next five weeks of draft talk. God, I wish Knight would have just taken Chris Paul!

Atlanta Hawks' GM Rick Sund's Summer To Do List

Jack Bender — Fri, 15 May 2009 06:23:04 -0400

While watching the Houston Rockets Luis Scola play with his hair on fire, in a big Game 6 win, I realized just how meekly the Atlanta Hawks played against the Cavaliers. Part of it was injuries, but the Hawks need a Scola, Brooks, Carl Landry, Chuck Jones, or Battier type.

The Hawks' lack of roster depth is scary.

Atlanta Hawks new General Manager Rick Sund had it very easy last offseason. He faced a few tough decisions, but nothing like this summer. The Hawks are at a crossroads in a strange NBA world and Sund is the guy riding in the back seat that ultimately is going to decide which road the Hawks take.

Forget about the terrible ownership situation and the yearning for Chris Paul, the Hawks could choose correctly and take the road toward being a consistent winner, or they could take the road back to a 15 win team—nobody wants that.

The importance of this offseason for the Hawks franchise cannot be overstated. Both draft picks have to make this team. The Hawks need like three "glue" guys. The talent level at the end of the bench is awful. Here is a list of 10 things Rick Sund should do to improve the roster this summer:

1. Decide Coach Mike Woodson’s fate by June 1.

If you let Woodson go, the new coach needs draft day input. By almost all measurements, Woodson deserves a contract extension.

However, if Sund wanted to shake this team up he could look for a new head coach who would bring in his own entourage of assistants, strength guys, and program.

The problem is the money. The same old names have been mentioned like Jeff Van Gundy and Avery Johnson, even a coach like Billy Donovan or Tubby Smith is going to demand north of $3 million per year.

If you fire Woodson, here are two more economical options Sam Mitchell or Kelvin Sampson.

2. Take a point guard or perimeter player with the 19th pick.

There is only one upper tier player in this draft and that is Blake Griffin. However, there are going to be solid players when the Hawks pick. I think you go point guard here, but definitely go perimeter.

I like Johnny Flynn from Syracuse. The question probably is does he know anything about playing man to man defense. Every college player will be shocked by NBA attention to defensive detail, so do not worry about this.

3. Find a hidden gem of a player with the 49th pick.

If I am not mistaken, Sund took Robert Swift. I am worried that he takes a big in the first round that bombs (BJ Mullens, anyone). Take the big man in this spot. There will be guys with size left.

You can find a big in the 2nd round that can be an impact player—Anderson Varejao, Carlos Boozer, and Big Baby Davis to name a few. Both draft picks have to make the roster.

4. Give Joe Johnson an extension.

Unless you think that D-Wade, Bosh, or another tier 1 player will sign here in Summer 2010, you have to give Super Joe an extension. This guy is a warrior.

He led the NBA in minutes played. He has an all around game and he can carry you in a playoff series—last year—and he is still young. I offer him 3 years and $45 million dollars.

5. Trade Josh Smith.

The time has come to choose between Smith and Joe Johnson. I choose Johnson.

Smith is a potential all star, but he is also a potential team and coach killer. The funny part is that in the NBA universe Smith’s contract makes him a bargain. You can get value for him.

You might have to throw in the rights to Josh Childress (try to throw in Acie Law and Speedy Claxton’s expiring contract).

I think Detroit would make a deal to get some cap space for 2010. You might be able to get Tayshaun Prince and Will Bynum for Smith, Childress, and Law.

6. Hold off on making Mike Bibby an offer.

I have so much respect for Bibby and the way he played this year. He might have been the Hawks’ MVP for the regular season, but he is so limited defensively that the Hawks should move in another direction.

My plan for the point guard position is in three parts: draft a point guard, sign Jason Kidd to a two year deal, and trade Acie Law. Yes, Kidd is old, but he is not going to retire. He is big, runs a team, and guards better than Bibby.

The financial commitment to Kidd would be less than to say Andre Miller or Raymond Felton.

7. Let Zaza Pachulia go.

Zaza brings effort and intensity, but is he worth what you are going to have to pay him. No. I think Sund should use Zaza’s money on a more productive and versatile player. I like some of the free agents that are performing in the playoffs.

For the same money or even less, you could go after Chris Anderson, Big Baby, Marcin Gortat, or Antonio McDyess. I think McDyess would look great beside Horford in a lineup. Plus, can you image Philips Arena going nuts for the Birdman Anderson? I mean this is the Hawks!

8. Re-sign Flip Murray in late July.

I want to wait and see if there is a market for Murray. He played great this season off the bench and was vital to the Hawks’ 10 win improvement this year.

But, do not forget he was probably out of the NBA if not for Sund. Wait and you might be able to get him for another one year deal, but double or even triple his money.

9. Re-sign Marvin Williams.

Make Williams a solid qualifying offer. Marvin is never going to live up to his draft status or the fact that he is not Chris Paul, but he is solid NBA scorer.

I thought he played harder than ever before this season on the defensive end. Of course, it is kind of a contract year. Sund already has a blue print for what to do with Marvin after the Childress affair last summer.

10. Convince Childress to come back.

I actually think you can argue that Childress’ basketball skills probably eroded by playing in Greece. He has to be home sick and miss playing games in front of 15,000 people a night.

He still is not a starter in the league and does not get starter money. The Hawks have the leverage and should offer something like 3 years, $21 million.

What shape do those moves leave the Hawks in for next year? Well, let’s just say we have to trade the rights to Josh Childress to make a Smith deal happen.

Also, I have wanted Ron Artest for the Hawks, but I am going to take Chris Anderson instead. That leaves the Hawks with a deeper perimeter team and very thin on big men. The 49th pick has to be a big man.

Then, sign a guy like Chuck Hayes. Then, keep Solomon Jones for a few million and here is your roster:

Jason Kidd, Joe Johnson, Tayshaun Prince, Al Horford, Chris Anderson, Johnny Flynn, Flip Murray, Maurice Evans, Marvin Williams, Chuck Hayes, Solomon Jones, Tyler Hansborough (49th pick), Mario West

Hawks-Cavs: Are There Any Positives for Hawks' Fans

Jack Bender — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:03:42 -0400

What can I say; I am transplant Northerner who has become a Hawks’ fan. I watched probably 70 percent of their games on television this year and would have watched more if not for family considerations.

I have no affiliation with the team, but I am disappointed and embarrassed. I was so frustrated this morning on my drive to work that I wrote an e-mail (I never do that) to the 790 the Zone guys complaining that they were being too hard on the Hawks. They were just venting like I wanted to.

The fact is that anyone that followed the NBA this season knows that the Hawks were a distant fourth-place team in the Eastern Conference. Orlando, Cleveland, and Boston were all much better. But, this series is really all about Lebron James. If the Hawks had Lebron and the Cavs had Joe Johnson, the roles in this series would be totally reversed.

You cannot discount the Hawks’ injuries to key players Marvin Williams and Al Horford. Williams is arguably the best option for Coach Mike Woodson to put on Lebron. Horford is the best Hawks defender and best against the screen-and-roll play.

A fully healthy Hawks team clicking on all cylinders probably would not be able to beat this Cavaliers team led by Lebron. With that being said, here are my four positives (I am too angry at the Hawks lack of effort and fight to come up with five) that demoralized Hawks fans can use against the boisterous cacophony of negativity that is the city of Atlanta right now:

1. Joe Johnson just had the greatest individual Game Seven performance in the history of the Atlanta Hawks. Joe really came up strong in the biggest win the Hawks have had since the days of Dominique Wilkins. I know he has been disappointing in the Cavs series, but Delonte West always gives him a tough matchup. West has been locking up the other team’s best player all season.

2. Next year should be a break out year for Al Horford. Horford is the youngest of the Hawks young guns, but he is the most mature, most committed to defense, and most dedicated to winning. This guy is a proven winner. He has huge upside. If I were the Hawks, I would have Horford working on his package of offensive moves all summer. He should have a monster year next season.

3. The Hawks are in great position for this offseason to make moves to improve the team. Sure, there are tough decisions that are going to have to be made, but the Hawks have some very favorable assets to trade. I think Childress is coming back. Bibby’s $15 million comes off the books. Joe is going to be solid for the rest of his contract.

4. We finally have seen flashes of what Josh Smith could be. I really am tired of people saying how young he is. He is the same age basically as Lebron! Smith’s upside is huge. He still can get much better. That is a scary thought. He is kind of a bargain at $58 million. That is a really scary thought. I might trade him though for the right deal.

Hawks fans must keep the faith going into the game tomorrow night. If the Hawks can win, we have a series. If the Hawks lose, look for an article from me next week about what the Hawks need to do this offseason.

Hawks-Cavaliers: Player Matchups from Atlanta's Perspective

Jack Bender — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:10:37 -0400

The city of Atlanta, its fans, and the Hawks are taking a beating today.

The playoff series against the Heat is being called the worst seven-game series of all time. A local sports radio personality called the Atlanta sports media “soft-assed” because fans were upset by a question for coach Mike Woodson. And on PTI today, Michael Wilbon called Atlanta “the worst sports city in America.”

Ouch. All I know is that I may be in the minority, but I think the Hawks have a very good chance to take the Cleveland Cavs to six or seven games in Round Two of the NBA playoffs.

Here is my take on the player matchups from the Hawks’ perspective:

Joe Johnson vs. Moe Williams

Joe Johnson is coming off a superb Game Seven performance against the Miami Heat. Johnson is the best playmaker on the Hawks team and he will handle the ball to initiate the offense just as much as point guard Mike Bibby.

Johnson has to have a monster series for the Hawks to have a chance against the Cavs. He needs to come through especially in the fourth quarter like he did last season against the Celtics. The major obstacle for JJ is not Moe Williams, because Delonte West will guard him most of the time. West’s ability to get close to Johnson and disrupt his dribble penetration gives Johnson all kinds of problems. Look for Joe to use his size advantage.

Mike Bibby vs. Delonte West

The main liability for Bibby is on the defensive end of the court. He is going to have to guard Delonte West, because West is the least explosive of the Cavs starting guards.

Bibby could be used to double team Lebron, but he lacks the size to bother anyone on double teams. However, Bibby was the most consistent player for the Hawks against the Heat. He is on fire from the three-point line and he had an important hard drive to the basket on Sunday. Bibby has to stay aggressive on the offense.

If any of these games are close, Bibby is going to be a major factor shooting perimeter shots in the fourth quarter.

Mo Evans vs. Lebron James

Lebron just was named the MVP of the NBA. Mo Evans is a journeyman who will be giving up inches and pounds to LeBron. The one good aspect of this match up for the Hawks is that Lebron does not have a great post up game.

Evans will be able to match up on the perimeter. He has to make Lebron shoot perimeter shots. That is the only chance for the Hawks. You cannot get beat off the dribble and foul him. He is shooting 15 free throw attempts per game in the playoffs.

On the other end of the floor, Evans has to be ready to catch and shoot, because he is going to get open looks. James will be able to roam around which might lead to some great blocks and steals, but it also might lead to Evans making some three-point shots.

Josh Smith vs. Anderson Varejao

If Smith will attack the basket like he did on Sunday, this match up favors the Hawks. Varejao is aggressive on defense and he is the best help side defender on the Cavs. When he helps, J-Smoove has to crash the offensive boards and scores.

Smith also should be able to attack Varejao off the dribble and beat him down the floor in transition. The Hawks can steal Game One if Smith comes out with a huge game with something like 24 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks performance. Defensively, Varejao sets a ton of ball screens.

The Hawks have switched ball screens most of the year. This means that Smith is going to have to guard Lebron out on the perimeter. I actually think Smith can rise to the challenge, because he is almost as athletically gifted as LeBron. He is just not as tough mentally. Yet.

Al Horford vs. Zydrunas Ilgauskas

This is such an intriguing match up. Horford is really a power forward and he had trouble guarding the bigger Jermaine O’Neal on the block in the last series. Big Z is not a great post up player. He gets baskets by setting screens and facing up.

The Hawks are likely to switch a Lebron-Z ball screen and then double Lebron on the drive. That means Ilgauskas is going to have to knock down open 20-foot jump shots. He can do this.

Offensively, I am waiting for a huge, bust out performance from Horford. The ankle injury might slow him down, but he has to use his quickness against Ilgauskas. Horford has to his a couple medium range jumpers to bring Ilgauskas out from the basket. Then, he can drive around him and attack the basket.

I would like to see Horford draw some more contact and shoot more free throws in this series.

The Hawks Bench

Will Marvin Williams play? Without Williams, the Hawks lose their best option defensively against Lebron. This season Williams was able to challenge Lebron because of his wingspan and his defensive focus.

I think he needs to play even if the wrist hurts. Guarding Lebron gives Williams a chance to prove he deserves a multi-year contract from some NBA team.

Flip Murray and Zaza Pachulia played great in the Hawks’ four victories against the Heat. These two are pretty consistent—they play good at home and bad on the road. I guess Zaza’s 18-rebound performance in Game Five in Miami is the exception that proves the rule.

Murray is instant offense and he is not going to be afraid of West, Moe Williams, or Daniel Gibson. Murray is also playing for his money next year. He was on the verge last August of going to play in Russia! Now, if he has a big series, he is looking at signing for a very good money either with the Hawks or with someone else next year.

Hawks-Heat: Five Offensive Keys for the Hawks to Win Game 5

Jack Bender — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:58:53 -0400

1. Mo and Flip have to play big. If Marvin Williams does not play, the Hawks are going with a seven-man rotation with Mo in the starting lineup and Flip off the bench. These guys were picked up in August by GM Rick Sund and few in Atlanta paid any attention (check my blog, I was calling for the Evans signing before he signed). The combination is averaging almost 15 ppg in this series. Tonight, they both need to score in double figures.

2. The Hawks have to get to the foul line and convert. A high number of free throw attempts means that you are getting shots in the paint either on drives to the basket, transition cuts, or post moves. Atlanta is averaging 24 attempts per game from the line on 71 percent shooting. They need to get to the foul line 35 times tonight and shoot a high percentage.

3. Mike Bibby has to get more open three-point shot attempts.. He is attempting under five shots per game from three-point land in this playoff series. I do not think he is being aggressive enough on the offensive end. Granted, the Heat are keying on him with Mario Chalmers, who never has to double team anyone in the post. The Hawks need to look for Bibby on quick kick-outs after offensive rebounds. Bibby must be more aggressive and call his own number more tonight.

4. Al Horford must step up. Horford is highly respected in basketball circles all around the country. He is looked at as the next great power forward for USA basketball. The problem is that Jermaine O’Neal has exposed him as an undersized center who has trouble guarding a bigger player. Horford has to get physical on the offensive end. He has to attack the basket. He has to match Zaza Pachulia’s energy. Horford is averaging 2 offensive rebounds per game in this series. Tonight, he needs to man up and get about six offensive rebounds and convert them into scores.

5. Will the real Joe Johnson please stand up? Forget about his low scoring numbers. In the regular season, Super Joe averaged almost 6 assists versus 2.5 turnovers per game. Those numbers are close to being reversed against the Heat. Johnson needs to be a playmaker and let the offense come to him. When the Heat double him on the perimeter, he needs to attack the double and create open shots for teammates. The Hawks' bigs, especially Josh Smith and Horford, need to cut to open areas and to the basket for easy scores. I have a great feeling that JJ is going to play his best game of the series tonight and lead the Hawks to a 3-2 series advantage.

Hawks-Heat: Will Joe Johnson Step Up?

Jack Bender — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:22:56 -0400

While watching the level of play in last night's Houston Rockets versus Portland Trail Blazers game, I was struck by how different the emotional level is in the Hawks-Heat playoff series.

The all stars for the Rockets and Blazers were totally spent during stretches of the third and fourth quarter. At one point, Artest was playing so hard on defense he could hardly come down the floor for offense.

The Hawks especially have not played with the type of energy and emotion that they need. One of the highlights from last year that keeps running during these playoffs is the clip of Joe Johnson burying a big three-point shot against the Celtics. Super Joe is fired up and yells out to the crowd.

The Hawks desperately need that Joe Johnson to show up tonight in Miami.

Johnson has to take the leadership role tonight and demand the basketball on the offensive end of the floor. Defensively, Coach Woodson has to play someone else on Dwyane Wade. Johnson cannot guard D-Wade for the entire game and be expected to score the 30 points that the Hawks need tonight.

Use Mo Evans on D-Wade. Double team him when the Heat run the two man game or ball screen action. Save Joe to guard Wade in the fourth quarter. In a clutch situation, I think Johnson can get a couple of stops on Wade when it matters most.

The Hawks need Johnson to lead them to victory tonight and for the rest of this series. Super Joe has to get out of his comfort zone and he may have to yell at someone. Show Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, and Al Horford how much this game means to him and to this franchise.

Hawks-Heat: Soaring Hawks Must Stay Grounded In Game Two

Jack Bender — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:02:38 -0400

Hopefully, Mike Woodson and his coaching staff have been able to bring the soaring Hawks back down to Earth after Sunday’s big win.

The city of Atlanta is buzzing about this team and the danger is that there is a chance the team just shows up and expects to beat the Heat again.

Some people are even talking about a sweep, which is ridiculous. The Hawks need to understand that they are going to face a much different Miami Heat team on Wednesday night in Game Two.

For starters, the Heat’s young players will come out with a better idea of what it takes to compete in the playoffs and of the noise level in Philips Arena. Last year, a veteran team like the Celtics was rattled in the Hawks home arena, so the Heat’s struggles were not unprecedented. Mario Chalmers, Michael Beasley, and company should all play better on Wednesday night.

Secondly, Dwayne Wade clearly was rusty from his week-long layoff to end the regular season. The Hawks defense has done a solid job on Wade all season, but he did not play up to his normal standards.

I like the way the Hawks' forwards helped Joe and Mo Evans by challenging every one of Wade’s attempts early in the game.

Undoubtedly, Wade is going to be on a mission in Game Two.

The Heat need to run more screen and roll's on the wing to get Wade more space to operate. If he cannot get his own shot, he can get to the middle of the floor and create for a teammate. James Jones and Daquean Cook need to play more minutes on the wings with Wade at the point guard spot.

I also see Coach Spoelstra running some zipper cut plays to get Wade the ball at the top of the floor. I would actually not bring the screen in this case and just let Wade work one on one. The Heat could flatten out their offense to a 1-4 low set with three-point shooters in the corners.

Mostly, I am worried about Josh Smith and Marvin Williams. Smith took another tough charge on Sunday. J-Smoove and Marvin played great and received a ton of accolades. These guys have to keep up their intensity and smart play.

Does the hype over the past two days translate into Smith taking bad shots tomorrow night?

Or playing soft on dribble penetration? I hope not.

Defensively, the Heat have to slow down the pace of the game. I see the Heat playing more zone defense against the Hawks. If you play zone, you can play a smaller lineup with Jermaine O’Neal in the middle of the zone.

To play zone, the Heat have to rebound better. The Hawks’ zone offense has not been impressive this year, but they do have guys that make open three-point shots.

Finally, the best feature of the Hawks’ win on Sunday was their unselfish play on the offensive end of the floor. The Hawks were very focused on offensive. The ball movement and player movement reminded me of that great stretch of home wins in December.

Clearly, Coach Woodson had a game plan to attack the Miami Heat inside. Smith, Al Horford, and Zaza had opportunities in the paint early in the game. Getting alley-oop dunks, easy post scores, and offensive rebound put backs opened up the outside shooting and driving lanes for the Hawks perimeter players.

The Hawks have to stick to their game plan offensively. Defensively, they need to be ready for an all out assault from D-Wade.

Wade might take over 30 shots in this game.

The Hawks' defense on Wade is the key. If Wade responds with an all-around monster game, the Hawks are in trouble and the Heat can steal a game at the Highlight Factory.

Atlanta Hawks Playoffs: Five Keys to Beat the Miami Heat

Jack Bender — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:03:33 -0400

The Atlanta Hawks have earned their playoff berth and playoff seeding this season. Unlike last season, no one can say that they backed into the 2009 playoffs. This team is firmly entrenched as the fourth best team in the Eastern Conference.

I wrote a breakdown of the player matchups for the Hawks versus Miami Heat playoff series about three weeks ago. Nothing really has changed in my thinking. Any fifth grader that follows the NBA knows that the main key to this series is Dwayne Wade and how the Hawks decide to try to attack him defensively. Without Wade, the Heat are a lottery team. He should finish second to LeBron James in the NBA MVP voting.

However, the Hawks clearly have a better eight-man rotation than the Heat. The Hawks also have the benefit of playing in the playoffs last year. The problem for the Hawks is that an NBA playoff series can be dominated by one player. If Wade goes off for 50-plus points in game one, and the Heat win in Philips Arena, the Hawks will be facing their toughest challenge in a season filled with adversity.

To beat the Heat, the Hawks have to answer five key questions:

1. What is the injury status of Marvin Williams?

The former second overall pick in the NBA draft is in his contract year. He elevated his game this year on both ends of the floor. His three-point shooting and defensive efforts were essential to the Hawks’ quick start to the season.

However, Marvin’s back is out of whack. He has not played much in the past six weeks. I have been arguing for him to come off the bench since last summer. If he can score off the bench, use his length to bother the Heat’s Michael Beasley, and rebound, the Hawks should win this series.

2. Can Jermaine O’Neal be a low post scoring option for the Heat?

The Al Horford vs. Jermaine O’Neal matchup in the low post is very intriguing. Most of the time, playoff basketball slows down and the offense has to rely more on set plays. The Heat need to generate some easy baskets in the post by getting the ball to O’Neal. Horford will have to guard him in the post.

I like Horford’s energy and defensive intensity. He has to push O’Neal off the block and make him shoot face up jumpers. If O’Neal can spin into the lane and shoot short hook shots, the Hawks are in trouble. The Hawks cannot afford to try to double in the post and take away Wade on the perimeter. If O’Neal reaches the 20-point mark in a game, the Heat probably win.

On the other hand, the Hawks need to establish Horford on the block on the offensive end. He has been inconsistent this season with his post moves. If he is aggressive, “The Boss” should be able to score on O’Neal, who likely will play behind in the post and let Horford catch the ball on the block.

3. Which version of Josh Smith shows up for this series?

Since the Marvin Williams injury, Smith has started to play good basketball. He is doing the little things and he is scoring and rebounding. His defense is better. He has taken charges and played the passing lanes. He has kept his man from penetrating (for the most part). J-Smoove also has become a playmaker. He is an above average passer who delivers the ball to perimeter shooters on the money. Guys can just catch the pass and shoot.

Smith seems to have realized that he can score 30 points in a game if he takes the ball to the basket and makes his free throws. He occasionally jacks up a terrible jump shot, but those miscues have become fewer and fewer. My problem with J-Smoove has been that for every good thing on the court he does a bad thing. If he makes more positive plays than negative, the Hawks can beat the Heat and challenge the Cavs in the second round.

4. Can Mike Bibby continue to make big shots at the end of games?

Bibby has been a rock for Hawks coach Mike Woodson this season. The other night I watched him direct the offense and call out plays at the end of a crucial Hawks win. Plus, all year long, Bibby has made clutch three-point shots at the end of games.

The Heat defense should focus on Joe Johnson in end of game situations. Johnson was dynamite in last year’s playoffs and scored repeatedly on the Boston Celtics in the fourth quarter of games. This year he has Bibby to pass to for the open jump shot.

It is possible that Bibby will have three to four shots in this series that will decide games. I hope that he makes them.

5. Can the Hawks slow down Dwayne Wade?

Wade cannot be stopped, but he can be contained. Hold him to 30 and make him earn those points by not giving up dunks and layups. Slow down the Heat’s transition game by scoring on the offensive end.

I have been critical of the Hawks’ defensive approach to guarding the screen and roll play all season. There are probably about 12 ways to guard this play, but the Hawks seem to only switch the play. Switching works if the offensive player with the ball is hesitant to attack the bigger defender off the dribble.

D-Wade will not have that problem. He will attack the Hawk Bigs, score, and probably get fouled.

The Hawks have to mix up how they guard the screen and roll, depending on the players involved. If Jermaine O’Neal is coming to set the screen for D-Wade, the Hawks should double Wade. Make him give the ball up to O’Neal on the perimeter. O’Neal can make the outside shot, but can the Heat beat you with him shooting jumpers? I don’t think so.

If Udonis Haslem is coming to set the screen, the Hawks do their normal switch. I think that Josh Smith is athletic enough to guard Wade on some possessions. If Smith focuses, gets into a defensive stance, and gives Wade a step, Smith can keep Wade from getting all the way to the basket. Smith could force him into taking jump shots off the dribble with a hand in his face.

Of all the playoff matchups in the Eastern Conference, this series shapes up as the most competitive. It looks like it will be the superstar player leading his team versus a deeper, more veteran Hawks squad. My prediction is that the Hawks with home court advantage will win this series in seven games.

Atlanta Hawks vs. San Antonio Spurs: 10 Quick Observations

Jack Bender — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:55:17 -0400

The Hawks overall roster after this season is much better than the Spurs. I especially like the Hawks young forwards. If they can re-sign Marvin Williams to a reasonable contract this summer and Josh Childress makes the obvious decision to return to the NBA, the Hawks have four young and talented front court players.

Here is one of Coach Mike Woodson’s biggest problems in a nutshell. Joe Johnson had to start the game guarding Tony Parker, because Bibby cannot guard Parker. It is a good thing that the Eastern Conference is devoid of attacking point guards.

Bibby can guard Rajon Rondo, Rafer Alston, and Mario Chalmers. I would be worried about Moe Williams of the Cavs. Parker still has 20 points and 5 assists at halftime.

The Spurs are aging quickly. The Spurs are older than Bob Rathbun’s analogies. These guys are like the old guys with knee pads that come and play pick up at the playground. At one point, Michael Finley, Drew Gooden, and Kurt Thomas were all on the floor at the same time.

I know Roger Mason is still pretty young, but he looks old. If Tim Duncan, Gnobili, and Parker, play great basketball, the Spurs can make it back to the NBA Finals, but the championship window for this version of the Spurs is closing fast.

Hawks’ guard Flip Murray is on fire. His confidence level is at a season high. He was attacking Gnobili like Manu just arrived in the States with a knapsack and Marta card. Over the past three games, Murray is averaging over 20 points per game.

Murray has been up and down a little this season, but he gives the Hawks a spark off the bench that they did not have last season.

Josh Smith has no low post game. Also, he is not a very good jump shooter from outside of five feet. The Spurs started the game with Matt Bonner guarding him. Smith should dominate Bonner, but he has no offensive package of moves.

The Hawks cannot take advantage of the mismatch, because Smith is so limited offensively. The Hawks threw him the ball on the right block and he took a terrible fall away jump shot. Note to Josh—develop a left-handed jump hook.

A shot based maybe on Tayshaun Prince’s move. Left-handed players are tough to guard, but the way to guard J-Smoove is to just let him shoot the basketball.

The Spurs are one of the best teams in the NBA at executing out of bounds plays for scores. At the end of the first quarter, Popovich called a beautiful play side out of bounds play for Ginobli to get a lay up. Over the course of a game, those extra points add up to wins.

Manu Gnobili is not healthy. This is his first game back after missing 19 games. He missed 12 games earlier this season. He looks slow and the explosiveness off the dribble are not there.

The Western Conference teams are fairly equal talent wise and only 2.5 games separate five different teams for playoff spots. If Gnobili is not 100% for the playoffs, the Spurs are going to have an early exit this year.

Mike Bibby got a sweet cut right in the middle of his forehead courtesy of an elbow from Matt Bonner. Bibby was the victim of a bush league play that happens all the time in the Association. Bonner flailed his arms after the whistle. Kobe Bryant does this all the time. It should be a technical foul.

If Joe Johnson gets hurt, the Hawks can’t win a first round playoff series. When Super Joe went down with a twisted ankle on the very first play of the game for the Hawks, I actually started righting the Hawks 2009 season obituary.

Without Johnson’s all around game, quiet leadership, and offensive fire power, the Hawks will not beat the Heat.

Al Horford is the key to Atlanta’s playoff destiny. He brings energy, rebounding, and defense. He will set a solid screen which is a sacrifice that some are not willing to make. Coach Woodson has to have the confidence the isolate Horford some on the low block.

Last season, he was able to score on Kevin Garnett in the playoffs. In a potential first round matchup, I like Horford versus Jermaine O’Neal of the Heat.

Atlanta Hawks-Miami Heat: Playoff Player Match Ups

Jack Bender — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:55:00 -0400

First, to sort out the seeds:

The Hawks lead the Heat by three-and-a-half games for fourth in the Eastern Conference Playoff race. With only 11 games left to go for Atlanta and 12 for Miami, it is going to be difficult for the Heat to overtake the Hawks. Philadelphia could sneak into the fifth spot, but I think that D-Wade will carry the Heat to enough wins to set up a great first-round matchup with the Hawks.

The Hawks have won eight of their last nine contests and have largely solidified their position. They have a tough three-game home stand this week with the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, and L.A. Lakers coming to Philips Arena.

The pressure will be on to come up with at least two wins; I actually like them against the Spurs and the Celtics.

For the Heat, D-Wade sat out last week’s game versus the Celtics, and Jermaine O’Neal missed last night’s game with a bruised right hip. Supposedly, O’Neal "could have played if it was a Playoff game" and is expected to play Wednesday night.

Both of these teams are very good at home this season which means the series probably will go six or seven games.

Check out this preview of the player matchups for a Hawks-Heat series. I'd say the Hawks clearly have the advantage at several positions, but the Heat have D-Wade, who is playing at an MVP level.

Atlanta head coach Mike Woodson will have to decide whether to let D-Wade score 40 points per night and hold down the other players or to double Wade when he has the ball (or when he comes off ball screens) and make the other players beat the Hawks.

Mike Bibby vs. Mario Chalmers

Will the Hawks be able to re-sign Bibby this summer? I really hope so; this guy has solidified a position that has tormented Hawks’ fans for the past decade.

Just think about where this team would be if Acie Law was the starting point guard for 2008-09. Only Billy Bob Thornton’s character in the movie Armegeddon could adequately describe that scenario.

Bibby has hit big shots all year for this team. His defense is a liability, but not against this particular opponent.

Chalmers is a solid rookie who is clearly going to be an above-average NBA player. I would take him over Acie Law right now, but Chalmers is a rookie.

The Playoffs are a whole different level of intensity; the preparation by opposing teams is much more specific. I see Mario struggling when the Hawks force him to make big jump shots in the fourth quarter.

Joe Johnson vs. Dwayne Wade

On Monday night, D-Wade broke the Heat's single-season scoring record; interestingly enough, that was a record he had set in the 2006 season.

Remember that season? Yeah, that was when the Heat won the NBA title.

The two All-Star shooting guards probably will not defend each other very much during the series, but in the last few minutes of games, they might match up.

Johnson is the Hawks' best perimeter defender, but making him guard Wade from the jump is a mistake.

Joe is one of the best all-around players in the NBA, but he is in a "second tier," while D-Wade is one of the elite players. He was the best player on a championship team.

The extra days off in the first round will help both coaches because they can play these two 40-plus minutes per game.

I can sum up the way I feel about these two players very easily: I like Joe Johnson, but I would trade him, Josh Smith, Acie Law, and any fourth player on the Atlanta roster for Wade.

If Joe plays great in the fourth quarter like he did in the 2008 postseason against the Celtics, he will almost be able to match Wade. That will be enough for the Hawks to win a very tightly contested series.

Maurice Evans vs. Jamario Moon

Since Marvin Williams’ injury, the Hawks have actually been playing better basketball; the blurry roles for each of the starters have become clearer. If Williams returns from his back injury, I see him coming off the bench.

As for Evans and Moon, they probably will spend more time guarding the other team’s best player than guarding each other.

Offensively, Moon can explode for big nights, but Evans is a more consistent player. Besides, the Heat are not going to push the ball in transition enough for Moon to be a big offensive factor in this series.

Evans is a veteran that started in the Playoffs last year with Orlando and is capable of making big three-point shots. If Wade guards him, he'll likely leave Mo open so as to go for steals and blocks.

My question is whether or not Evans will have any legs or confidence left after D-Wade rings him up for 35 points each night.

I bet at least one game in this series will come down to Joe Johnson driving and kicking to Evans for a game winning three. Will he make it?

Josh Smith vs. Udonis Haslem

At first glance, the Hawks seem to have the advantage. Smith has elevated his play recently and can change the game on both ends with his dunking ability and shot-blocking skills. But Haslem is a solid veteran that has a ton of playoff experience.

Udonis is the guy on the Heat that will double team the post or maybe Joe Johnson on the perimeter at the end of the game. He has a knack for getting deflections and steals and is also the perfect compliment in the post to O'Neal.

He will knock down jump shots from the corners and the high post area. If Josh Smith leaves him to block shots, he will make the Hawks pay with garbage baskets and jumpers.

But the normal problem for Smith is guarding his man off the dribble, and that will not be a factor in this series. If Haslam is dribbling, the Hawks will be smiling.

If Smith attacks the basket in transition offense and in the Hawks' sets, Haslem will not be able to stop him. Based on J-Smoove’s raw skills and new-found maturity (that Coach Woodson prays sticks), I am giving the Hawks the edge.

Al Horford vs. Jermaine O’Neal

This battle for the paint is the most important from the Hawks' point of view. Can Horford stop O’Neal’s offensive game one-on-one in the low post?

If O’Neal can start off games with some scoring, that means the Hawks will have to double him to give Horford help. Whether or not this is necessary will somewhat dictate Atlanta's whole defensive game plan.

Horford has been playing great since the All-Star break; he is a dominant force on the defensive boards. Last year, Horford responded well to postseason pressure, and his numbers improved in those games.

The Hawks are likely to start games by throwing him the ball in the low post. He has a limited package of moves, but his athleticism should be hard for O’Neal or Jamaal Magloire for that matter to handle.

This pivotal match up looks even. The man that plays better probably decides the series.

The Hawks' Bench vs. the Heat's Bench

Overall, the Heat have a younger and more athletic group off the pine.

Michael Beasley is a dangerous scorer, but if Marvin Williams is healthy, the Hawks have a perfect counter to Beasley. Atlanta's forwards are bigger and longer than Beasley, which should give him a ton of trouble on both ends of the floor. He is not committed enough on the defensive end of the floor to guard Josh Smith, Al Horford, or Williams for that matter.

Flip Murray is the main reserve scorer for the Hawks. Any point production from the other players is purely a bonus for Coach Woodson.

I like the Hawks' options on the defensive end. Mario West is a lock-down defender that should play more than Acie Law. After all, Acie has been injured and missed the past two games, but no one has really noticed his absence. That is not a good sign for his career.

Zaza gives the Hawks energy and toughness. He has had some huge rebounding games this year.

The Heat are going with Luther Head as their back-up point with Daquean Cook and James Jones playing minutes on the wings. The best move for the Heat is to go with Wade at the point for some parts of the game, as Cook and Jones are very athletic wing players with range. They could potentially be trouble.

Jamaal Magloire started last night in place of Jermaine O’Neal. Battles between him and Zaza could be intriguing, if somewhat lacking in skill.

The Hawks have a better team with more veteran players in key positions.

However, D-Wade is clearly the best player on the court and he is likely to play over 40 MPG.

With a bunch of days off in the first round, Wade should have no trouble logging so much burn while still playing at a high level.

Coach Woodson has to let Mo Evans play him straight-up until the fourth quarter. Then, the Hawks will have to double "Flash" and make someone else beat them.

The Hawks are a better rebounding and defensive team, but the Heat are more explosive offensively off the bench with younger and more talented players.

But as long as the Hawks and Mike Bibby shoot well from distance, the Hawks will win this series in a hard-fought six games.

Atlanta Hawks: 2009 Playoff Analysis

Jack Bender — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:18:11 -0400

Hawks starting forward Marvin Williams is injured. Last week, Coach Mike Woodson and budding NBA All-Star Josh Smith were fighting. Bloggers, radio heads, and mainstream media are calling for Woodson to be fired.

Fans had the knives out and were calling for Woodson’s head on a charger, and Smith to be escorted out of town to some basketball Siberia like Sacramento. Not to mention, the stock market is down and people are jumping off bridges in the city of Atlanta.

What a difference a few days makes. When everything looks the bleakest in the NBA, a team finds themselves staring at a seven-game home stand. You get to sleep in your own bed, watch your own big screen television in your home theatre, hang out by your capital A-shaped swimming pool, and grab a couple of victories over three of the best teams in the NBA.

Today, the Indiana Pacers are coming to Philips Arena and everything is very, very good in Hawklanta.

A few weeks back, I gave the Hawks the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Since then, I have seen nothing to make me think they will not finish the season in that spot. They're are a solid, close-to-50-win team in an NBA regular season, but are also built for postseason basketball.

The idea that this is a young and up-and-coming Hawks team is totally wrong. The Hawks are a veteran team that needs to learn how to win. The three big wins last year versus Boston show that these guys can win games in late spring. The next big milestone is to win a series.

The Hawks shoot very well from the perimeter. They take care of the basketball. The team’s top three players are unselfish on the offensive end of the court.

When Marvin plays, the Hawks have big forwards that are long and can defend on the perimeter. Woodson preaches team defense, and the Hawks play a half-court style of basketball that carries over perfectly to the Playoffs.

However, for every strength this team has, they have a weakness that could be exposed in the "second season."

The Hawks do not have a true low-post scoring presence. Horford is improving every week, but opponents do not have to double him in the post.

Bibby has been the main reason for this team’s improvement in wins this season, but his perimeter defense is questionable. Teams that have an attacking point guard will give the Hawks trouble.

I think Mike Woodson has done a remarkable job over the past five seasons. Any normal coach faced with the terrible mounting loss total probably would have quit—see Tim Floyd and others. But Woodson has weathered the storm, and Billy Knight gave him Bibby last year as a going-away present.

The problem is that one of Woodson’s weakest coaching areas is the most important in the postseason. He is not great in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter.

The Hawks hardly ever design plays or inbounds sets that result in scores in crunch time. Big shots this season have mainly come from Bibby and have mainly been the result of very good ball movement and unselfish play in the final minutes of games.

The Hawks are most likely going to face the Miami Heat or the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the Playoffs. In my last article for Bleacher Report, I broke down the player matchups with the Pistons.

The Hawks have swept Detroit this year, but a series could be a totally different story. The Pistons have more experience winning in the Eastern Conference than any other team in the past six years.

The off-days and increased preparation time that the Playoffs afford teams is great for the Pistons. And I do not like that the teams are so similar.

Plus, I have a sneaking suspicion that Allen Iverson will be back and playing at a high level in the postseason.

I like the Hawks if they have home court in either series, but they match up better with the Heat.

Dwyane Wade is playing at a remarkable level this season. He might be the MVP and the comeback player of the year for 2008-2009. Wade already has an NBA title, and he can take over a seven-game series.

However, after Wade, the matchups favor the Hawks.

Joe Johnson would have to guard Wade some, but the big key would be Mo Evans somewhat containing Wade during the course of the game.

The Hawks love to switch screen-and-roll, especially in late-game situations. To neutralize Wade, Woodson would have to change that philosophy and double Wade to make him give the basketball up. We've got to make someone else on the Heat beat us in the last two minutes.

The point guard play would be in Atlanta’s favor. Bibby can contain the three-headed monster of Mario Chalmers, Chris Quinn, and recently-acquired Luther Head. Head will probably see more action than Quinn in the Playoffs.

Michael Beasley bringing scoring off the bench for the Heat is a big concern, but the Hawks forwards are all bigger than Beasley. J-Smoove, Marvin, and Al “the Boss” Horford will give Beasley matchup problems on the defensive end.

If the Hawks make it to the second round of the Playoffs, I think they match up very well with the Celtics and the Cavaliers. And after the epic 2008 series between the two clubs, the Hawks have no fear of the Celtics.

Paul Pierce broke Hawk hearts with a last-second shot in a game in November, but all of their matchups have been great regular season games. If Garnett is not 100 percent, I think the Hawks can win a series against the Celtics.

LeBron James and the Cavs would be a huge challenge for Atlanta. Marvin cannot guard LBJ; the only thing to do against him would be to let him shoot from the outside. If he has an off-week shooting, you might have a chance to steal a game in Cleveland.

The strange thing is that the Cavs role players are tough matchups for the Hawks. Delonte West guards Joe Johnson as well as anyone. Big Z is a nightmare matchup for Horford or Zaza Pachulia.

Ilgauskas is a huge part of the Cavs' half-court offense. He has to play well for them to get back to the NBA Finals.

Lastly, this version of the Cavs really shoots the ball well from the outside. The Hawks are not great at guarding the three-point shot. In fact, the Cavs shooting takes away the Hawks solid zone defense as a viable option for Coach Woodson.

The NBA regular season is a war of attrition. Back-to-backs, injuries, feuds between players or coaches, bad airline food, snow storms, sick kids, the flu, and other mundane, trivial circumstances that can crop over a six-month season impact wins and losses. But the Playoffs makes teams focus in on one goal and one dream.

The Hawks have weathered a bunch of storms this year. They have faced adversity, and it looks like they are coming together for a great end-of-the-season run. This team has the players, the experience, the team defense, and the shooting ability to make it deep into the postseason.

All they need is a big break or a major injury to someone like Pierce, LeBron, Dwight Howard, or Wade. That would make things very interesting for this dangerous Hawks team.

Atlanta Hawks-Detroit Pistons Playoff Preview

Jack Bender — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:07:36 -0500

After watching the Atlanta Hawks play two tough games this weekend, I am giving the Hawks the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. I know it seems early with around 20 games left to play, but I have confidence that with a healthy Mike Bibby and a long home stand, the Hawks are going to finish the season on a positive note.

If Bibby plays and the Hawks stay healthy, their eight man rotation is pretty good. The Hawks’ three-point shooting in Philips Arena and their defensive intensity are the big keys for this team.

Okay, pencil in the Hawks as the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. The scary part for Atlanta is that they might have to play the Detroit Pistons in the first round. Without Allen Iverson, the Pistons scored big road victories over Orlando and Boston this weekend.

The Hawks match up much better with the Miami Heat. The Heat's Dwayne Wade is the best player and most explosive offensive threat on these three teams, but the Pistons present so many more matchup problems for Atlanta in a playoff series.

Here is a preview of the players going head to head if the Hawks have to face the Pistons in the first round of the playoffs:

The Matchups

Mike Bibby vs. Rodney Stuckey

The Hawks have been struggling during this stretch when Bibby has been hurt and sick. Without Bibby, the Hawks can make the playoffs, but they can forget about doing any damage in the first round. Bibby is the better shooter and passer than Stuckey, but Stuckey is younger and much more physical.

Stuckey still is learning the point guard position, but he is a physical guard that can get to the basket. If the Pistons decide to clear out and let Stuckey operate one on one against Bibby, the Hawks are in trouble. Stuckey is a solid defender, but not focused enough to stay with Bibby at all times. Bibby will score, but so will Stuckey. I call this matchup even.

Joe Johnson vs. Rip Hamilton

Johnson is the better all around player. Hamilton will have a hard time guarding Johnson. The Hawks like to run Joe to the left wing and get him the ball. Plus, Johnson can post Rip. The Pistons coaching staff would be smart to put Stuckey on J.J. during some stretches.

On the other side of the coin, J.J. is going to have to chase Hamilton all over the court and cover countless screens. The Pistons create much of their offense from Hamilton reading screens and how teams guard the screen off the ball. Is Johnson in good enough shape to chase Rip all night long and still carry the Hawks’ offense in the last four minutes of the fourth quarter? That will be a huge question if these teams play in the first round. I give the edge to the Hawks.

Josh Smith vs. Tayshaun Prince

This whole season J-Smoove has been a wild card for the Hawks. He has the ability to make a huge impact on this series or he could disappear. If he is determined on defense, Smith will keep Prince in front of him and negate some of Prince’s vaunted low post game.

Prince is a member of the “Redeem Team” and one of the best defenders in the NBA. The past four years he has been second-team all defense in the Association. He will cause all kind of problems for Smith if Smith is careless with the basketball.

Ok, if Smith tries to dribble around Prince he will probably get the ball stolen from him. Prince is not playing as well this year offensively. I think he is tired and playing too many minutes. Arron Afflalo has not really been able to play minutes at the small forward.

Of all the Redeem Team members, Prince’s game is down this year. However, he killed the Celtics with a big three-point shot on Sunday and his passing is light years ahead of Smith’s. The Pistons have a clear edge here especially if the bumpy J-Smoove shows up for this series.

Al Horford vs. Rasheed Wallace

“The Boss” has been playing great since the All-Star break. He had a monster game against the Denver Nuggets; then he followed that up with a 20-point, 20-rebound game against Miami. In last year’s playoffs, Horford was able to score in the low post against Boston even when guarded by Kevin Garnett.

Of all the Hawks on the roster, Horford is the one guy that has to stay in Atlanta. No what Rick Sund says, Horford is a power forward with a Karl Malone type future. He is not a center, but neither are Rasheed or Antonio McDyess. However, I am sure that the Pistons will not double him in the post.

Wallace and McDyess will take turns guarding him. Wallace’s length, positioning, and defensive savvy will be a huge challenge for Horford. Wallace can block shots, but he is just as likely to slap down and go for steals.

Wallace is probably the most important player on the Pistons. If he is motivated and plays well, the Pistons are better than the Hawks. Wallace is the one player in this series that can run to the low block, receive the ball, and score consistently.

Horford will battle him in the post, but Wallace is kind of like and old school Kevin McHale in the post. He is a force and then he can take his game out and make three-point shots.

One of Wallace's qualities that works in the Hawks’ favor is that he does not like to draw fouls and go to the line. When the Pistons go to Wallace at the end of games, Horford and the Hawks must make him score over the top. I give Wallace an edge over Horford, but only for the 2009 playoffs.

Marvin Williams vs. Antonio McDyess

It is going to be interesting to see how these teams match up on the interior. Williams is really a small forward, but he cannot really guard Rasheed or Tayshaun. He can guard McDyess and actually pressure McDyess when he catches the ball on the perimeter.

I really like this matchup for Atlanta. The Pistons probably will have to put Prince on Williams, because of Williams’ range on his jump shot. McDyess will not be able to guard Williams at all. Add to that the fact that Marvin will be playing for his next contract and Marvin might have a monster series.

McDyess is old and does not move that well, so Williams should be able to grab some offensive rebounds. Defensively, Williams is able to come out on the floor to guard McDyess. The Pistons do not run any plays for McDyess, but he finds open spots on the floor when his defender helps off him.

McDyess is a very accurate shooter out to 20 feet, but he has no low post game that could hurt the Hawks. The Hawks have a slight advantage depending on Marvin’s energy level.

Hawks Bench vs. Pistons Bench

One of the biggest stories of this final segment of the NBA season is going to be how effective Allen Iverson is coming off the bench for Detroit. His statistical numbers with the Pistons have been eerily similar to his numbers with the Denver Nuggets.

A.I. can score in bunches and look for him to be on the floor in crunch time. That would mean the Pistons going with a small line up, but Prince will be able to match up with Atlanta’s forwards, because Smith and Williams will not post up.

The Pistons probably come with Jason Maxiell, Walter Herrmann, and former Georgia Tech guard Will Bynum in their rotation. Maxiell is an explosive offensive rebounder and finisher around the basket. Herrmann probably sees his minutes limited, but Bynum could be a factor pressuring Flip Murray when he has to play the point.

Murray and Mo Evans can score off the Hawks bench. I keep waiting for Evans to find his three-point stroke again this season. Murray has been playing key minutes and scoring in bunches since the All-Star Break.

Zaza will be the Hawks post guy off the bench. (Even though the numbers do not bear it out at this time, I still think the Hawks would be better with Zaza starting and Josh Smith or Marvin Williams coming off the bench. I know it will never happen, but the matchups would be better in this series.)

The scary thought for the Hawks is Maxiell flying down the court for dunks. It is a good thing that the Pistons probably will not try to push the basketball at all in this series.

Both teams have a big drop off on the defensive end when they substitute. The idea of Iverson being the main scorer for Detroit’s second unit is intriguing. With all the cameras and bright lights of the playoffs, I see him being a major factor.

For the Hawks, Evans can earn some minutes on the defensive end. He will have to be a defensive stopper when the Pistons go to a smaller line up. With Iverson, I give the Pistons a solid edge in bench play.

The Pistons are battle tested and have reached the Eastern Conference Finals in the last six seasons. The guys on the Hawks’ roster, except for Bibby, have never had real success in the playoffs.

I just hope the A.I. experiment fails and the Hawks end up hosting the Heat in the first round. I liked the way that the Hawks matched up with the Heat last Friday.

Atlanta Hawks Make Huge NBA Roster Move This Week

Jack Bender — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:53:02 -0500

Have you been wondering where in the world James White plays basketball? The former Cincinnati Bearcat star is the best player on the Anaheim Arsenal of the D-League. He had 35 points last night in a big overtime win.

I know this because I was checking out new Arsenal and former Hawk big man Othello Hunter. Hawks’ fans have been throwing down shots of Jameson this week to celebrate the big move that has given the Hawks a chance to win the Eastern Conference. The Hawks designated Hunter for assignment to the Arsenal of the D-League!

Think back to around September/October 2007…Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers was complaining that Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak was not doing enough to win a championship. It looked like Kupchak’s career was nearing an end with the Lakers.

Then, in February 2008, Kupchak robbed the Memphis Grizzlies of Pau Gasol. Today, the Lakers are playing great basketball and have the deepest team in the NBA.

Today, Atlanta Hawks’ GM Rick Sund could have made a similar deal. He could have made a deal for a superstar to be the face of this franchise.

Instead, the big news this week for the Hawks was that Othello Hunter was sent to the D- League. Is it Sund’s fault? No, the problem with the Hawks is the ridiculous management situation; Blame Steve Belkin, Michael Gearon, and the rest. Blame David Stern for letting this charade go on for so long.

Okay, I am joking. Really, Hawks fans are seeing the door close on a chance to make a trade to get them into contention for the Eastern Conference championship.

If you read this blog, you know that I think the Hawks’ roster is built for the playoffs. Bibby and Marvin playing for contracts make the playoff roster even more interesting. I am confident Atlanta will beat Detroit or Miami in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

I also am confident that the Hawks with their current roster cannot beat the Celtics, Magic, or Cavs. The next few road games will provide a tough test, and we will see what the Hawks can do against tough teams.

A few days back I proposed a trade to get the Hawks to the next level. With over 200 reads and some negative comments, here are a couple of my comments in response to the comments:

First of all, if you check out the stats, Josh Smith and Carmelo are close to even.

Carmelo is obviously the better scorer and offensive player, but Smith has some advantages. He is younger, more athletic, and has a much more manageable contract. Plus, he has not already tuned out George Karl. Get Smith away from ATL and he might blossom.

Joe Johnson is one of my favorite Hawks, but he is a No. 2—a Robin or Ed McMahon, if you will.

Melo would come in here as the face of the Hawks. He would take all the pressure off Joe. Melo would be the No. 1 option and he would put sizzle in Philips Arena. The stars of Atlanta would be at these games.

Think about this match up in the second round of this year's NBA playoffs:

Bibby, Joe, Melo, Horford, and Zaza versus Rondo, Allen, Pierce, Garnett, and Perkins.

I actually like Atlanta's starting five better on the offensive end. As always, Garnett's desire would be the X-factor. But can Paul Pierce guard Melo? Can Allen guard JJ? Allen could not get the job done against the Hawks in last year's playoffs.

Hawks’ bloggers and fans only can dream of a Melo and Joe Johnson combination. Really, no one cares. There are only two sports talk radio shows in this town and today they combined to talk about the Hawks for about 14 minutes.

The derth of NBA talk and buzz in this town is disheartening. Okay, let me go watch Jeopardy.