Buried on the back pages of the sports column, nestled between professional wrestling – what up Rock – and professional bowling there was a brief mention of the Atlanta Hawks handing the Miami Heat their first loss of the season. The Birds beat the Heat 100-92. It was total team victory with 10 players contributing. Joe Johnson led the team in scoring with 21 points. Al Hoford led the team in rebounds with 9, and Jeff Teague led the team in assist with 5 dishes.
I know it is still early in the season, but I would have thought the Birds would have gotten a little more publicity, but I guess when the college football season is wrapping up and the NFL post season is about to start, the NBA (especially the Hawks) is regulated to back of the sports page.
On last Friday, Bean and I went to the Highlight Factory to watch the Birds beat up on the hapless Nets. Jay-Z needs to get the Nets logo changed immediately. About a month ago, I saw a mock Nets logo, which incorporated the Brooklyn Bridge; it was nice. Although the Highlight Factory was practically empty, Bean and I had a great time because the Hawks put on great show, beating New Jersey 105-98.
I was surprised to learn that Tracy McGrady is on the Hawks’ roster. Man has it fallen into obscurity. At one time, he was battling Kobe Bryant for the throne. I guess back-to-back knee surgery slows you down. Either way, I think he will be a good addition to the team to fill the absence of Jamal Crawford. Folks are sleeping on the Birds, but I think when you couple their continuity, athleticism, and youth with a shorten season, they are prime to go deep in the playoffs. If the Hawks could pull a San Antonio and win a title after a lockout, that would be special.
The Hawks have a chance because Boston is old. Chicago depends on Derrick Rose too much and I think with Jeff Teague in the lineup full time, they have a good chance of taming the Bulls. Indiana is young and lacks playoff experience. Miami is hungry and have the most talented team in the league, but they cannot score against the zone defense and the jury is still out on whether LeBron James can recapture his playoff magic. Milwaukee, what up Bucks, lacks an impact player; and I am not sold on their defense. The Hawks handled Orlando last year, plus the Magic will probably trade Dwight Howard by midseason (to a western conference team), so they should not be as dominate. The rest of bunch – Charlotte, Cleveland, Detroit, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Washington have issues and unless they show otherwise or unforeseen events occur, will not contend for a title.
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