[IMGl]http://espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nba/med/trans/atl.gif[/IMGl]<div align="center"><font color="red"><font size="3">Atlanta Hawks Season Preview</font></font></div> There isn't many positive things that can be said of the season the Hawks had last year. The team had no chemistry and the coaching staff seemingly had no direction for the team. After beating a team like the LA Lakers on inspired play,they would turn around the next night and get blown out by the Cavaliers in what can be described as little more than lackadaisical play and effort. For this team to be a success in the future someone has to instill in this franchise the mindset of a winner and instill the mental toughness to play hard, night in and night out, as a team. Of course having 3 coaches in the span of 4 years does little to solidify anything other than the indecisiveness and lack of care put into this franchise. The Atlanta Hawks weren't without talent Stephen Jackson and Jason Terry both bring all the talent in the world. However Jason Terry continues to carry, and earn, the tag of a me first player and Stephen Jackson was said to have looked for a career year in order to up his value in order to get a look from other teams. Matter of fact,the lone bright spot may have been Boris Diaw, who showed flashes of defensive brilliance and an ability to handle the rock. Diaw made the most of his playing time to show he was worthy of the first round selection and a possible building block for the future of the franchise. A team first player like this can ,and should be, the key underpinning to a new,winning philosophy with this franchise. Players with this mentality are the building blocks of champions. This past offseason, may in fact, offer the Hawks greatest chance of sporting anything other than a league doormat. Gone are Jason Terry,Stephen Jackson,Bob Sura,Wesley Person,Alan Henderson,Jacque Vaughn,Zaljko Rebraca & Mamadou Ndiaya. In there place,whether by trade or free agency we have, Antoine Walker,Al Harrington,Kenny Anderson,Jon Barry,Tony Delk,Predrag Drobnjak & Kevin Willis. The draft also added some new,talented,faces to the Atlanta Hawks. Josh Childress,Josh Smith,Royal Ivey & Donta Smith. A mix of players such as this should breathe new life into this once proud franchise. Guys like Kevin Willis,Jon Barry,Tony Delk & Kenny Anderson will be key in giving the guidance and leadership that all young players need. Al Harrington will have the chance,and opprotunity,to continue to mature into the player we all start to emerge the last two season. This will also be the chance for Antoine Walker to remake his image from a me first type of player into a team player willing to do what it takes to win (I know,probably won't happen but other players have shed that image in situations such as this). Players like Josh Childress,Josh Smith,Boris Diaw & Al Harrington have all the potential and talent in the world. Surrounding them with alot of veteran players who have alot to offer is a huge step in the right direction,but without a stable coaching enviroment,a dedicated front office and patience this will all be an excercise in futility. This is a chance for the Hawks to finally turn things around,lets all hope they don't squander this opprotunity like they have in the past. <u><font color="RED">Key Losses:</font></u> Stephen Jackson: 18.1 PPG - 4.6RPG - 3.1APG Jason Terry: 16.8 PPG - 4.1RPG - 5.4APG Bob Sura: 7.5 PPG - 4.1RPG - 2.9APG Wesley Person: 5.8 PPG - 2.0 RPG - 1.1 APG <u><font color="red">Key Pickups:</font></u> Trades & Free Agents: Antoine Walker,Forward Height: 6'9" Weight: 245 Kentucky Exp: 8 seasons last Season: 14.0 PPG - 8.3 RPG - 4.5 APG This could be Antoine Walker's career defining opprotunity. He has all the tools to contribute to every facet of a winning basketball team. Unquestioned offensive ability,great ball handling and can play adequate defense. If Antoine can intergrate himself into a team concept then he could be a huge asset and team leader. But if it's the same old Employee # 8 then he'll only be holding back the young talent that this team has stockpiled. Al Harrington,Forward Height: 6'9" Weight: 250 St.Patrick's HS (NJ) Exp: 6 seasons Last Season: 13.3 PPG - 6.4 RPG - 1.7 APG Already a 6 year NBA veteran at the age of 24,Harrington will have his chance to shine with the Hawks. Not only will this team benefit from his talent but they will also benefit from his willingness to play within the team. The past two seasons has undoubtedly shown his emerging talent,it also has shown that he is more than willing to do what it takes for his team to be successful. Look for Al to increase all of his numbers dramatically but still be an exceptional team player and leader. Tony Delk,Guard Height: 6'2" Weight: 189 Kentucky Exp: 8 seasons Last Season: 6.0 PPG - 1.8 RPG - 0.8 APG Tony Delk will provide much needed offense off in the backcourt for the Hawks. Whether it off the bench or in a starting role he has the capability to drop some serious offensive numbers when needed. Could be relied upon to be a much needed sparkplug late in games. Kenny Anderson,Guard Height: 6'1" Weight: 168 Georgia Tech Exp: 13 seasons Last Season: 6.0 PPG - 1.8 RPG - 2.8 APG Throughout most of his career he has been seen as someone he never came close to realizing their full potential. However,as career starts to wind down he has shown a steady hand at running a team and the ability to contribute offensively when needed. His experience and leadership should be invaluable to this team of young players. Jon Barry,Guard Height: 6'5" Weight: 210 Georgia Tech Exp: 12 seasons Last Season: 6.2 PPG - 2.2 RPG - 2.6 APG Atlanta landed Jon Barry after several teams were plying for his services. Jon was signed as much for his professionalism and veteran presence as he was for perimeter shooting. A class act on and off the court,there is no doubts that the Hawks management are hoping some of those traits rub off on the youth of this team. Look for Jon's perimeter shooting to be a key in drawing attention away from the front court,allowing Al Harrington and Antoine Walker to work more profficiently. Predrag Drobjnak,Center Height: 6'11" Weight: 270 Exp: 3 seasons Last Season: 6.3 PPG - 3.2 RPG - 0.6 APG Even though Shaq made the jump from West to East,it is still a conference lacking in bigs. While not a world beater or superstar Dorbjnak should be able to provide the Hawks with an adequate presence in the middle over the course of the season. Kevin Willis,Center Height: 7'0" Weight: 220 Michigan State Exp: 19 seasons Last Season: 3.4 PPG - 2.0 RPG - 0.2 APG His knees may ache and his talent may have slipped a few notches but Kevin Willis brings important energy and enthusiasm for the game to the table. Continuing with the running theme we have here,Kevin will provide very important experience and veteran leadership to this team. While not the player he once was,look for him to make some key contributions especially in Center depleted East. Key Draft Picks: Josh Childress,Forward-Guard Height: 6'8" Weight: 210 Stanford Exp: Rookie Last Season: 15.7 PPG - 7.5 RPG - 2.7 APG(College Stats) Pros - Some scouts said Josh was as NBA ready as anyone in the draft. He has a center like wingspan and extremely quick feet allowing him to defend and rebound as well as anyone. Also has the ability to put the ball and floor and get to the basket as well as anyone. Combine this with his solid ballhandling and passing and you have a player with great potential. Cons - Shooting,strength and the body to play at the NBA level. Needs to be alot more aggressive.Loses confidence in his game easily. Josh Smith,Forward Height: 6'9" Weight: 225 Oak Hill Academy HS (VA) Exp: Rookie Last Season: 25.8 PPG - 7.4 RPG - 6.0 BPG(High School Stats) Pros - One of the best athletes in the 2004 NBA Draft. Explosive leaping ability. Long wing span and quick feet allow him to grab rebounds and play good defense. Great finisher on the fast break. Cons - As with most players straight from high school ; body weight,strength,experience at a higher level & shooting ability. No real go-to moves. Relies too much on athleticism. Donta Smith,Guard Height: 6'7" Weight: 215 SE Illinois CC Exp: Rookie Last Season: 25.8 PPG - 7.1 RPG - 3.4 APG(College Stats) Pros - NBA ready body with a 7' wigspan. Explosive scorer who can take over games with the best of them. Good perimeter shooter. Versatile - can play the 1 - 2 or 3 and guard them defensively. Cons - Lacks defensive intensity at times and seems disinterested in the game. Inconsistent shooter and has sketchy shot selection. Royal Ivey,Guard Height: 6'4" Weight: 185 Texas Exp: Rookie Last Season: 9.4 PPG - 4.3 RPG - 4.0 APG(College Stats) Pros - Great defender. Great slasher to the basket and moves well without the ball,but will probably be known as defender in this league. Cons - Not a true point guard. Cannot break down an opposing defense to create for teammates. Average handles,below average shooter. Key Existing Players: Boris Diaw,Guard Height: 6'8" Weight: 215 France Exp: 1 season Last Season: 4.5 PPG - 4.5 RPG - 2.4 APG Last season Boris emerged as a potential all-world defensive stopper. With a little expereince and opprotunity (And Coach Woodson's tutelage) he could become one of the best defenders in the League. Look for Boris to get a chance to become a starter. If he makes the most of this opprotunity his offense will get a chance to blossom along with his already capable defense. Jason Collier,Forward Height: 7'0" Weight: 260 Georgia Tech Exp: 4 seasons Last Season: 11.3 PPG - 5.6 RPG - 0.9 APG No one will mistake Jason Collier for Kevin Garnett,but in the East his big body will be an asset if he can stay healthy. Decent offensive game. Will get a chance to contribute regularly if he stays healthy. Head Coach: Mike Woodson Defensive minded and tough. Just the kind of coach a struggling franchise is in need of. A great teacher of the game and someone who expects everyone to give 110%. The architect of last years Pistons' defense,look for Coach Woodson to bring the same kind of dedication and work ethic to the Hawks. Projected Opening Day Lineup: PG: Kenny Anderson/Boris Diaw/Jon Barry SG: Tony Delk/Jon Barry/Josh Childress SF: Antoine Walker/Josh Childress/Chris Crawford PF: Al Harrington/Jason Collier/Josh Smith C: Predrag Drobnjak/Kevin Willis/Reggie Butler Don't expect this lineup, if indeed it resembles the one put on the floor on opening day, to be set in stone. This is a team of veterans looking for a chance to play the game more than they have for their previous teams and young players hoping to make their mark or get a foothold in the game of professional basketball. Look for the starting lineup to go thru a metamorphisis several times before a concrete one emerges. All of the young players will be given ample time and opprotunity to contribute and all the veterans will be given the time and opprotunity that they can play as well as anyone. All in all this season could make or break this team for years to come. If Coach Woodson and the entire organization are as committed to turning this around as claimed then look for a re-emergence of the Hawks as a team to reckon with and hopefully harken them back to the 1980's and mid to late 1990's glory years. If not,just look for more of the same that we've seen since about 1999. This is a chance for the Hawks to bring back the winning legacy that endured millions of people to this team. With a little luck,persevernce and patience this could turn out to be a big success story in the seasons that follow.--
Nice preview Dre, I think Kenny Anderson was a major pickup for this team. A young team like this needs a floor leader who knows how to run a offseason. And KA still knows how to do that well imo. It takes the ball out of Walker's hands a bit, which on this type of team would be a plus imo. With the youth surrounded on this team Walker would clearly try to do too much(he probably still will), but at least they will still have someone on the court running the offense while walk is going off into his own world launching up 3 after 3. As far as Josh Smith goes I havent seen him much outside of a few High school all-star games I seen but he didnt look that big to me. So he probably put on some wieght during the time since those games. He didnt look ready for the league either, especially when they were following him during the EA sports show they were showing on fox.
Great preview good to see someone other than me and Quickness paying attention to the Hawks, I dont think that there going to be that bad next year. But Great Preview.
That was a nice preview man, look at how the lineup has changed and looks now! PG: T. Lue SG: J. Smith SF: J. Childress PF: Al Harrington C: Obinna Ekezie Thats a big change
