The Atlanta Hawks is the team you try your best to like but they always disappoint you. With the talent the Hawks have assembled you would think they would be a legitimate contender in the east but that isn’t the case. Each year you think next year will be the year the Hawks will turn that corner but you never see them cut the wheel. This team is good enough to consistently get 4th or 5th seeds in the playoffs every year but if this franchise wants to cut the wheel it must blow this team up like Ray Lewis reading a dive play.
Fresh off of losing a 6 game series to the Celtics which they had home court advantage, Rondo was suspended for a game and Pierce had a bum knee. The Hawks losing is what we all expected.
Two years ago the organization had a chance to start the path of redemption when their star player Joe Johnson was a free agent. The Hawks organization was faced with a major decision let their best player walk for free or overpay their best player! What did the organization do? Overpay their best player, in the amount of 119 million dollars over 6 years. If your Joe you take the money I understand that wholeheartedly but the organization just locked themselves in a mediocre team for the next 6 years, well 4 year since he’s played out two of the years.
Besides being locked in for the Johnson contract the Hawks have a lot of the same pieces which is why the puzzle doesn’t fit. Josh Smith the athletic forward is playing the 4 spot when his style fits more of a 3 skill set minus the 3 point marksmanship. Al Horford who I believe is the best big man on the team is playing the 5 when he is clearly a 4. I already talked about my man Marvin Williams in a post a few weeks ago, he’s a 3 in he’s playing the right position but just imagine them having a star PG (Paul or Williams) besides him, this might be a different post.
The Hawks did draft Jeff Teague a few years back a promising young PG. Which is a step in the right direction. I personally think Teague and Horford if they can play him at the 4 and get a real 5 aka center on the team to help them. These two players would be who I build my team around in a perfect world.
The problem they will have completing the task is Johnson will be Damn near impossible to trade with 4 years left on his max deal. The only person you can trade that has value is Josh Smith. Smith is very versatile but we all know this team is just a solid team that will never turn the corner. With Smith gone the Hawks will be forced to play Horford at the 4, which instantly will make them a little better.
Because of Smith’s talent it will be hard for the Hawks to pull the trigger but sometimes less is more. Also, Smith only has one more year left on his contract so after the 2012-13 the Hawks will be at another crossroads. Will they continue to pay him top dollar or let him go for nothing if they want to improve they must trade him for valuable pieces.
The Hawks must make a move to shake things up so they can take the next step. We all know where this current team is headed, its like a broken record that only repeats the same part over and over and over again. The sad thing is maybe the moves in the past might have too much control over the future than the organization had hoped for.
They should be a dark horse for D12 (Dwight Howard). He gives them a legitimate center. Then the front court would be elite. I think Joe is not the problem. Joe is not a super star. He’s a plus defender, decent shooter who can score. His problem is can’t carry a team and that contract says he should be able to. I think they should look at front court help. Smith will have to be in any trade. He’s similar to Joe (hear me out) plus defender, decent rebounder, good scorer. But a poor shooter. Smith if anyone should be moved. Only makes sense. But changes need to be made.
Who runs the Hawks? Who ever he is dumb ass. I know hindsight is 20/20 but every body knew that signing Joe Johnson to that contract was stupid. He had came off of one if the worst playoffs by an “all star” ever. The Hawks had clearly maxed out and it was obvious that the team constructed as is would be a perpetual 4 seed but the hawks was content with keeping the team as is. i don’t even want to get started on their draft history. Not only did they blow it with marvin williams they went and drafted his brother Sheldon(no actual relation) with the 5th pick.They fire mike woodson for Larry Drew, the same man who convinced his son that he was good enough to start over Kendall Marshall and if the coach didn’t see that then he should Transfer to UCLA where he might not get to start there as well. that should of made you question that mans basketball i.q. right there. sorry for the long ass post but i just truly hate the Hawks organization as a whole
Honestly they would have better off keeping Crawford at around 10-12 mil. a year last year. I forgot they drafted the great Shelden Williams smh. @telnme haha true on all aspects. @Willie F during the playoffs Joe J gets missing faster than Usain Bolt in the 100 m lol