Well, it kind of is.
"We had them internally as a serious playoff contender coming into this season," an Eastern Conference head coach told me recently. "The problem for the Hawks last year was injuries. Their top eight guys only played together for five games, but they could be better than even we thought. They go two-deep at every position, and almost everyone on the team is improving. Joe Johnson is a b---- to guard, Josh Smith is a nightmare, and they can put a five-man lineup on the floor where everyone is 6'7" or taller. That was a statement win they had against Dallas [in their season opener]."
The pieces appeared to be in place for the Hawks to make a run for the playoffs this season, a place Atlanta has not been since the abbreviated '99 season. That feeling was reinforced when, five days after that win over the Mavericks, the Hawks trumped the Suns. The talent appeared to be in place: The 2007 draft yielded two players in the top 11, Florida power forward Al Horford and Texas A&M point guard Acie Law, bringing the total number of lottery picks on the Hawks roster to seven. Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote recently that "the locals can put more good players on the floor --- and not just starters; subs, too --- than at any time since the late '80s." The Hawks were young (average age, 25.1), deep (when healthy they can use five or six players on their bench) and hungry to win.
At least everyone thought so.
At 3-7, Atlanta appears headed for another dismal season. Injuries have played a factor again (Law and starting center Zaza Pachulia have missed time) but by and large the Hawks have been victims of their own inconsistencies. Tuesday night's game against San Antonio was a microcosm for their season: After scoring 38 points against Milwaukee on Saturday, it took forward Josh Smith 11 shots to score 11 points. Pachulia, who scored 14 against Seattle on Friday, has totaled 10 over the last two games. The Hawks looked like they didn't want to be in the same building as the defending NBA champs, trailing by as many as 24 on their way to a 95-83 defeat.
It's easy to lay the blame at the feet of coach Mike Woodson, who entered the season having won just 28 percent of his games as the head Hawk. Atlanta has the pieces to be a prolific scoring team and spent the bulk of training camp developing an up-tempo attack, yet they're averaging just 97.1 points per game (19th in the NBA). They're athletic defensively and have one of the NBA's premier shot blockers in Smith, yet are one of 10 teams surrendering more than 100 points per game.
How much rope will Woodson get this season? By the looks of it, not much. Hawks ownership -- which jointly owns the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers -- canned Thrashers coach Bob Hartley two weeks into the season, a sure signal that they're growing weary of being perennial doormats. Right or wrong, the Atlanta front office believed they had the talent to win now, a fact that was evidenced by the Hawks not pursuing a single free agent this offseason. Woodson reportedly is operating under a win-or-else edict from ownership this season, the final year of his contract.
The onus is on Woodson to find a way develop a young roster. The Hawks have looked listless at times and don't appear to have the same confidence they had early in the season. They need to rediscover that confidence quickly. Beginning Wednesday, Atlanta begins a three-game road trip before returning home to finish November against Milwaukee and New Orleans.
Taylor Walker
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Comments (10) Add A Comment
The Hawks (3-7) have enough talent to become better than the equally young Blazers and the rebuilding Kings (4-7). As it stands now, they're no better than the Sixers. Perhaps, it's really the coach that's the problem in Atlanta.
King4kong
Galt , CA
Total Comments (157)
Time to package a couple of guys for the PG they really need. Law may be better than what they had in the past, but they still need someone who can really run the show.
Kozanski
Total Comments (2)
I think they should trade Josh Smith for a veteran. Smith is by far their best athlete, but he messes up the offense going for individual accolades, he just destroys any developing chemsitry this team might develop. Ship Smith, bring in a veteran.
Just
Total Comments (2)
They screwed themselves over when they drafted 3 straight SF's, taking Marvin Williams over Deron or Chris Paul is the reason they are not where they should be. Deron and Chris can carry teams as shown already, plus Utah and Atlanta have similar players and I would consider Atlanta far more talented. Law while servicable is a combo guard. Out Deron or Chris in that line up and they make the playoffs easy.
Mauds
Total Comments (3)
Their problem is that their best players at their two most important positions; point guard and center, are both rookies. I know patience is a tough thing to ask for from Hawks fans, but the future is bright! Acie Law has the potential to be a very good point guard, and Al Horford is already showing signs of being a beast in the post... give them a couple of years to develope, and the sky is the limit if they can retain the roster they have now. Mike Woodson seems to have the right philosophies.... just like the Blazers, I think the Hawks just need a little time to let the ingredients they have simmer for a while and soon they will be a contender
legendofnil
Oregon City , OR
Total Comments (17)
It's very simple:
They were competitive with Horford in the starting 5 (with all his intangibles and shot blocking hability)and then Woodson inserted Zaza coming from an injury (who can be a useful guy coming off the bench as a second unit high post scorer)!
How stupid can you get?
vava74
Wilmington , DE
Total Comments (1)
"They screwed themselves over when they drafted 3 straight SF's."
Yeah, every time I look at the Hawks roster it looks like they're really heavy at SF and SG. They've got allot of talent, but they need to figure out who they want to keep and trade the rest to improve at other positions. They'll likely lose some of them anyway when they're contracts are up, because there are only 96 minutes per game at the SF and SG positions, so some of them have got to be thinking they can get more PT somewhere else.
perfect360
Pittsburgh , PA
Total Comments (989)
i dont think the hawks didnt go after any free agents because they thought they can compete with this core. i think they didnt go after any free agents because their ownership is too much of a mess to get a deal done. really, until that gets resolved, no one can take the hawks seriously no matter how much talent is on this team.
nbacheapseats.blogsp…
Arlington , VA
Total Comments (206)
well now the Hawks have won 2 straight road games for the first time since the Clinton administration, so they are getting better. Josh Smith is a beast on D, he just needs to play smarter on offense and be more selective. They Will make the playoffs in the weak east!!
M V P
Total Comments (43)
That team has been bad forever. They have never had a legit chance to win it all that I can recall.
Fastbreakblog
Chicago, IL
Total Comments (98)
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