I'm sorry Atlanta twitter (ooh) I am for real.

Yesterday, an article of mine about the Atlanta Hawks playing the Golden State Warriors went up at Hardwood Paroxysm (thanks to Ian Levy). I didn’t really think much of it. Whenever I guest post somewhere, the article goes up, a couple tweets and retweets occur, and then I usually don’t hear anything else about the piece. Like most writers or aspiring writers, I’m already working on something else. But yesterday was different. The good people of Atlanta, or at least the good people of Atlanta on Twitter, did not, at least from what I could tell, enjoy the article or my opinions.

Al Horford Has Angel Wings: Identity, Injuries, and Hope in the NBA

"We'll be alright once we get _________________ back."

What sports fan hasn't at some point uttered the above statement, whether out of confidence or sheer desperation? The imagination of sports fans exists in a realm of hypotheticals, what ifs, and naive wish fulfillment. Injuries to significant players flatten the playing field, allowing both wealthy and impoverished fans alike to create a parallel universe where, with one crucial addition, anything can happen. It’s the absence of a player that brings them down, and this absence also allows them to imagine the previously unthinkable: that a team whose achievement has grown stagnant can still shatter glass ceilings.

Birds of Prey: Joe Johnson's 34 Points Against The Bulls

Last year, when I was asked to write for The Faster Times, I wrote my first column on Jamal Crawford and the Atlanta Hawks. I'm not sure why; despite living in Georgia for a decade that overlapped the '80s and '90s, I never really climbed aboard the Dominique Wilkins freight train, maybe because my dad always complained about how he never played defense and couldn't hold a candle to Michael Jordan.

The first basketball game I ever attended was at the old Omni. We sat in the nosebleed section, and I had to hold my father's hand as we ascended to our seats. It felt like we were so high up that the rafters blocked our view. I could barely make out the duel that went on between 'Nique and Danny Manning. I also didn't realize that I was watching two guys already on downward spirals turning into supernovas, soon to be traded. I had a brief affair with the late '90s Hawks. I was infatuated with Dikembe Mutombo and Mookie Blaylock. Steve Smith's game was quiet by comparison, but his game spoke volumes. I think Steve Smith was the prototype for Joe Johnson, just cheaper.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution  used to be filled with so many names and stories about guys named Augmon and Corbin and Henderson. In print, during the regular season, their names read like Biblical heroes, but in the Playoffs, they always became juggling midgets that great players like Michael Jordan would laugh at and mock. Can you believe Christian Laettner made an All-Star game? Dennis Rodman let him know that it was a mistake. The Hawks never put up much of a fight in the Playoffs, unless it's a vintage shootout between 'Nique and Bird, it's like they misinterpreted their own mascot, believing that a bird of prey is the critter that get eaten. The Hawks have been chewed up and spit out and chewed up so many times--it's hard to believe there's anything left.

Then, in a game against the number one seeded Chicago Bulls and their MVP Derrick Rose, Joe Johnson drops 34 points. Jamal Crawford tallies 22. Each man scoring from his side of the arc like two boys placing pebbles on their side of a scale. And their efforts appear so fluid and natural that one wonders what deep body of water they had to drag in order to find such smooth stones. Then one wonders why as a boy he never latched onto the roaring tide that was Dominique Wilkins. How was I never a Hawks fan? And the answer is: Because nobody ever found them good enough, not even their own state.

American Idol Judges the NBA's Eastern Conference Playoffs

Ryan Seacrest: We're down to sixteen contestants and breaking it all down for us tonight will be our three judges, offering up their best advice and critiques of the eight teams representing the League's Eastern Conference.

NBA Preview Part 3: Southeast Division

NBA preview continues with part 3 and the Southeast Division.

1)  Orlando Magic
Last Year: 59-23, lost in Eastern Conference Finals
Additions: Chris Duhon, Quentin Richardson,
Subtractions: Matt Barnes

The Magic have been a Top 4 team in the NBA the past two seasons and for the foreseeable will a team to contend with, but will they ever have what it takes to get over the hump?  They dominated the last part of last season, winning 27 of their last 34 games and dominating the first two rounds of the playoffs against Charlotte and Atlanta.  But if a team has a big man that can defend Dwight Howard one on one,  like Boston could with Kendrick Perkins, then the offense crumbles around Howard.  Howard is not offensively skilled enough at this point in his career to carry a team on his shoulders unless he can just overpower the opposing front line. If he can't demand a double team, the Magic have a hard time scoring against the elite.  The defense will always be elite with Howard guarding the rim and Stan Van Gundy's ability to coach defense.  But until Howard develops an offensive repertoire beyond dunking, the Magic will have a difficult time getting over the hump, espeically with aging players like Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis on the perimeter. Howard is still young, but he is also entering his seventh season.  Have we seen the best he can offer on offense?
Prediction: 54-28, 4th place


2)  Atlanta Hawks
Last Year: 53-29, 1st round exit
They virtually have the same team as last season, no major additions or subtractions


The Atlanta Hawks are basically in the same position the Wizards were two years ago.  The Hawks have maxed out what they can get out of this roster and were put in a terrible position to sign their top player Joe Johnson (Gilbert Arenas) in order to show that the Hawks were serious about winning, even if it would cripple the franchise financially long-term. In what was easily the worst contract this offseason, the Hawks signed a good player to max money, with Johnson receiving 124 million in a 6 year deal (Gilbert Arenas received an extension worth 6 years 111 million). The Hawks have a solid core of good players, but lack the superstar power needed to a serious threat in a revamped Eastern Conference, with little flexibility to improve the team in the future.  They also had everything go right injury wise last year, and that is bound to not happen this season.  They won't win as many as this year in reaching the playoffs, and they will lose in the first round.
Prediction: 47-35 6th place


3)  Miami Heat
Last Year: 47-35, 1st round exit
Additions: Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Mike Miller, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Eddie House
Subtractions: Michael Beasley, Jermaine O'Neal, Quentin Richardson, Daquan Cook, Dorell Wright

Unless you are living under a rock, you know about the productive offseason the Miami Heat had.  They have 3 of the top 10 best players in the NBA on one team. They will be unstoppable on offense in both the half court and in transition.  But their success is not guaranteed like most everyone predicts.  They still don't know who is playing center from the litter of veterans they signed in the offseason and a series against the Magic and Dwight Howard will pose quite the mismatch.  And as the preseason has already shown injuries to any of the Big 3 could slow down this juggernaut.  With that said, I expect the Heat to get the number 1 seed and to win the Eastern Conference.  They won't challenge for 70 wins because they will rest their players once they lock up a one seed, but 60 wins or more seems likely.
Prediction: 65-17 1st place 


4)  Charlotte Bobcats
Last Year: 44-38, 1st round exit
Additions: Shaun Livingston, Kwame Brown, Sherron Collins
Subtractions: Raymond Felton, Tyson Chandler, Larry Hughes

I don't really know how this flawed lineup made the playoffs last year, which is a testament to Larry Brown's ability to get the best out of his players.  But the roster moves made by Michael Jordan and Brown over the offseason leaves me scratching my head and the team much worse off .  They decided to part ways with Ray Felton for monetary reasons, but did not find a viable replacement and will have either Shaun Livingston or DJ Augustin as the starting point guard.  They traded Tyson Chandler for nothing but cap relief from the luxury tax, leaving them with Nazr Mohammad and DeSagana Diop at center.  They have two decent scoring options in Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson, one promising young player in Tyrus Thomas, an overweight Boris Diaw, and then huge question marks.  Not good.  They don't make the playoffs this year.
Prediction: 36-46

5)  Washington Wizards
Last Year: 26-56
Additions: John Wall, Kirk Hinrich, Yi Jianlian
Subtractions: Mike Miller, Randy Foye, Quinton Ross

This is my surprise team in the Eastern Conference.  I will simply give my three reasons for why they make the playoffs this year.

1)  Youth Movement. Out with the old, in with the new. John Wall will provide off the charts athleticism at the point guard position with the ability to blow by defenders and create easy opportunities for teammates inside and out.  Andray Blatche had his best numbers last season with 15 and 6 in 27 minutes per game, displaying huge progress as a scorer. JaVale McGee is a young and improving center that will be relied on heavily for his shot blocking, rebounding, and ability to finish around the rim.

2)  Focus:  From the death of Abe Pollin and subsequent ownership change, to Gilbert's legal issues, to the trading of Jamison, Haywood, and Butler, there were huge distractions throughout last season where the team was answering more questions about news off the court than the play on the court.  It was a huge burden and it showed with a 26 win season.  With a new season comes the breath of fresh air of the John Wall era. With the maturity gained by the young players on last year's team, the influx of new players, and a coach who will be able to coach and not babysit, you will see a more focused Wizard team with more consistent energy and effort each and every game.

3)  Eastern Conference.  Even though the Heat and the Bulls got stronger, they were already playoff teams last year.  After the Heat, Celtics, Magic, and Bulls, the rest of the east is pretty wide open.  The Cavs, Bobcats, and Raptors will be much worse. Only the Knicks and the Nets are going to be leaps and bounds better.  The last 2-3 spots have the potential to be filled by the unexpected.
Prediction: 42-40 7th place 1st round exit

"Dawn in Pennsylvania": Milwaukee Bucks lead Atlanta Hawks

Without their best player Andrew Bogut, most people thought the Bucks were done, especially when the Hawks went out onto a 2-0 lead, to start the series.  Since then, the Bucks have won three in a row and the art of predictions look like a foolish endeavor.  

Walking through the warehouse, it feels like a hollowed out egg, even the outside walls are painted Easter with ads for car parts and local butcher shops.  Darkness fills the rooms like a black yolk.  Brandon Jennings walks through shadows and slits of gray light, following whispers, drawn to them like a moon to gravity.

His brother's death brought him here.  They delivered the arm--broken, twisted, and bloodied--but no body.  Brandon has come for the body, all seven feet and two hundred and fifty pounds of it.  Andrew was a mountain of a man, in life, with his blood pumping through him, but in the depths of Brandon's imagination the sight of his brother's mangled arm reduced him to Ayers Rock, the blood breaking the skin and staining its surface into a sunset, or a red dawn.  These thoughts bring a chill to Brandon's spine, but he braces himself against the shivers, not wanting to appear timid, as he takes measured steps on the thick concrete floor of the warehouse.  He comes to a door, cracked slightly open, and nudges it forward.  The gray of this room, stinking of cigarettes and ashtrays, feels warm and airy compared to the dark hallway, with its air like black ink, and Brandon feels strangely calm.

"Welcome, Mr. Jennings, we didn't think you'd show," Josh Smith fires the line like a stray bullet.  "We thought you'd faint at the sight of your brother's blood.  You've got bigger testicles than we guessed.  I like that word: testicles.  It shows that bravery takes some effort, some test if you will that I don't think a word as simple as balls can convey.  Say it with me. . . testes. . . testicles. . . yeah, there it is."  Brandon stands still as the light in the room, unwavering, not uttering a syllable, not even a breath, wondering if this rambling idiot before him can truly be the diabolical genius plotting his demise.  Brandon doubts it.  He takes a step forward, placing himself in a circle of men, who carry themselves like massive birds of prey, like hawks, as if they owned the sky itself.  To Brandon, they are merely buzzards, or scavengers of old men's bones.  Brandon can smell the stale tobacco and decrepit whiskey on their clothes and on their breaths, and he begins to smile at the illusion these petty thugs desperately cling to, trying to appear as mafiosos, when nothing else could be further from the truth.  Brandon feels young.  He knows who he is, and he's proud of his youth.

Brandon looks to his left, and eyes a man not much older than himself with a posture like a weasel and a white flower popping out of his pocket.  Brandon recognizes him as the one they call Marvin.  He looks to his right, and observes a with wide shoulders, even wider ears, and a young man's goatee.  His name is Al.  Brandon also takes the time to notice two other men in the room: one sitting in a chair by the window and the other leaning in a corner full of shadows.

Khhhuuuuuhhhhh!  The sound resonates from Marvin's throat, as Brandon grabs it with his right hand.  If Marvin has more to say, no one knows because Brandon's grip holds all other syllables in the collapsed Adam's apple of Marvin's neck.  With the butt of his left palm, Brandon breaks his victim's nose, shoving the weasel's body into big Al with enough force to put both men on the ground.  Marvin's blood creeps along the concrete like an oil spill  and in the middle of this puddle sits either Al or Marvin's gun.  Brandon swoops for it and fires it in one motion, shooting Josh Smith in his cajones--excuse me--testicles.  The other two men in the room have not moved.  Brandon points the gun slowly from one to the other.

"Well, Mr. Crawford, it looks like the boy knows what he's doing," the man in the corner steps into the light from the window, puffing his cig so that the end of it glows red.  "Yeah, it appears he definitely knows what he's doing, Mr. Crawford."

"That he does," comes a patient voice from the folding chair.

Brandon decides not to let the two men talk, settling the gun on the man standing in the gray sliver of light, "I came for my brother's body."

"Well. . . it. . .  ain't . . . here."  The man speaks as if he's evaporating, as if all he can do is threaten, like thunder from a passing storm; his lack of action embracing the anonymity his voice struggles to defeat.

Mr. Jennings begins to squeeze the trigger.

Atlanta Hawks Preview: "Road in Maine"

Okay, I've been chugging along on these Ed Hopper NBA previews, but I decided I needed some outside help; so here's Josh Spilker of Deckfight to give us the 2010 Hawks. Feel free to add your thoughts in our comments section and check out the other NBA previews we've done so far.

The meadow is alive at dusk, as the sun waves goodbye with a shower of blue and pink and orange. The blanket is spread out, like it always is. The cracker, the cheese, all have found their place. Joe shuffles the ice, a wine bottle tucked in between the cold shaved bits.

Joe waits. Joe waits not with longing, not with worry, but with a quiet assuredness.

Just then, just as always, a branch breaks behind Joe in the meadow. He hears the footsteps that started with a snap and a bounce slow into flat, low thuds.

“Made it,” Joe says.

“Always do,” Mike says, running his fingers over the quilt and taking a seat on the blanket.

Joe uncorks the wine. The western sky makes its slow turn from the brilliance of light into a despairing darkness that will soon grasp the east.

“It’s your turn to ask,” Joe says.

“Thought it was yours,” Mike replies.

“Don’t matter,” Joe says. His gaze goes from the sky to the ground, his head falters as if in prayer. “We both ask it everyday, anyway.”

“How did we get here?” Mike whispers, as the wind throws the corners of the blanket into the air.

Dunk of the Week: Josh Smith is a grown man

If Josh Smith and the Hawks didn't make you a fan last season when they took the Celtics to game 7 as the 8th seed, this dunk over Kendrick Perkins should.



After the posterization I believe me and Kendrick are thinking the same thing, wheres the help KG?