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Hawks Still Flying for That Magic Word

Terence Moore — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:29:00 EST

Filed under: Hawks

ATLANTA -- Either Dr. Phil or Charles Barkley once said, if you wish to advance in life, you must start with the image in the mirror. So the Atlanta Hawks will continue to scare people the rest of this NBA season. That's because they know exactly what they are, and they know exactly what they are not.

Here's what the Hawks are: Pretty good.

Actually, the Hawks are better than that. I'll explain more in a moment, but let's start with what the Hawks aren't: Elite.

"We're in the conversation for sure, but we're not satisfied with what we've done so far, because we still have a ways to go," said Hawks guard Jamal Crawford, telling the truth about his suddenly potent team that has surged into a three-way tie with the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns for the NBA's best record at 11-3.

The Magic and the Suns have been vibrant for a while. They've also made a couple of trips to the NBA Finals since the Hawks last did so 51 years ago on the way to a world championship. They were in St. Louis back then. In 1968, they moved to Atlanta , where they've been just an occasional tease. There was that Mike Fratello stretch in the 1980s with Dominique Wilkins, Doc Rivers and Spud Webb. There also was the Lenny Wilkens era when Mookie Blaylock, Dikembe Mutombo and Steve Smith produced 50-victory seasons. In between, there was a lot of nothingness, but now the Hawks have a chance to challenge or surpass their good old days.

I think it was Confucius -- or perhaps it was Earl "The Pearl" Monroe -- who opined, when you realize you have an opportunity to reach that next level in something, then you should take advantage of it. The Hawks realize they have one of those opportunities on Thanksgiving night at Philips Arena, where they will play hosts to their Orlando bogeymen of recent years.

For instance: While racing to the NBA Finals last season, the Magic took three of four games from the Hawks. And the Magic got accomplished Hawks killer Vince Carter during the offseason. Plus, the Magic ended the preseason for both teams by whipping the Hawks by 37 points with that man again (Carter) leading the way.

So this is more than just another early-season game for the Hawks.

"Well, it's huge," said Mike Woodson, in his sixth season with the Hawks, doing the unusual for a coach or a manager in this situation by refusing to deny the obvious -- and the obvious is that Thursday night's game really is huge for the Hawks.

Woodson added from behind his desk at Philips Arena, "Orlando has dominated our division the last few years, and we're trying to get to where they've been. They were in the Finals last year when nobody picked them to go to the Finals. I think their team is as good this year as it was last year. They've got a lot of weapons, and they're semi-young, and they've got that big man in the middle [Dwight Howard]. So I look at this game as a game that will tell us where we stand. From a coaching standpoint, I need to see where we are as a basketball team."

The Hawks have a core of athletically gifted players who suddenly realize basketball goes beyond running, jumping and slamming.
Everybody will see as much. In fact, at the end of this nationally televised game, the Hawks will be viewed as one of two entities: (1) The same guys who began the season as nothing more than the fourth-best team in the conference behind the Boston Celtics, Orlando and the Cleveland Cavaliers; (2) The different guys who flashed signs against the Magic of surging past the frequently vulnerable Celtics and of upsetting the Magic or the Cavaliers down the stretch.

The Hawks have a core of athletically gifted players who suddenly realize basketball goes beyond running, jumping and slamming. They have enough veterans to keep anybody who hints of becoming a knucklehead from dribbling that way. They have the league's most under-appreciated coach in Woodson, whose top three points of emphasis each moment are defense, defense and defense. They have a significant bench for the first time in more than two decades.

They have a clue, too. As a result, the Hawks' most telling game during the early season wasn't the one that many would say. In other words, it wasn't that game against the Celtics' Big Three on November 13, when the Hawks won in Boston for only the fifth time in 18 tries since the turn of the century.

It was that game against the Bobcats a week earlier when the Hawks were hammered by 20 points in Charlotte . It was that game, because there was no shrugging in the aftermath by the Hawks -- you know, who could have used a few alibis since they traveled to Charlotte after a West Coast swing that featured Kobe's boys, a loaded bunch of Portland Trailblazers and the improving Sacramento Kings.

Instead, the Hawks were fuming at themselves. They said such a loss was unacceptable. They even did something about it by winning seven in a row.

"That really showed our growth, right?" said Crawford, in his ninth NBA season, but his first with a Hawks team that he joined after a trade this summer with the Golden State Warriors. Crawford, right, already has excelled at the two roles that Hawks management had envisioned for him. First, courtesy of averaging 17 points during his 30 minutes per game, he is a prolific scorer off the bench when the impressive backcourt of Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby takes a breather. Second, as a prince of philanthropies, he is a quality person in the locker room.

Added Crawford, "This is a family here. On some teams, when a guy takes a shot and misses, guys put their heads down and say, 'He should have passed it.' We don't have that here at all. Everybody is really, really close. We all look out for each other."

Yeah, but can they do more than that?

Can they win? Not games, but championships?

That's what the elite do.

Terence Moore is a national columnist and commentator for FanHouse. He is a frequent panelist on "Rome Is Burning," an ESPN show hosted by Jim Rome, that is seen Monday through Friday at 4:30 PM ET. Moore spent more than three decades working for major newspapers, including 26 years as an award-winning sports columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He resides in Atlanta.

Hawks Still Flying for That Magic Word originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Josh Smith Beats the Rockets

Brett Pollakoff — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:59:00 EST

Filed under: Hawks, Rockets, NBA Videos

Josh Smith would probably be the first to tell you that he didn't have a great game on Friday against the Rockets. But he was there at the end when it mattered most, and hit the game-winner with 0.7 seconds left to power the Hawks to their 11th win, tops in the league at this early point in the NBA season.

Smith finished with a pretty solid line of nine points, eight rebounds, four blocks, and three assists, but was limited by foul trouble to just 24 minutes of action. In fact, he had played just 30 seconds of the fourth quarter, before being inserted with 34 seconds remaining, and his team clinging to a five-point lead.

After the exceptionally gritty Rockets came from 10 points down with under two minutes remaining to tie it at 103 with five seconds left, Smith was there to clean up Mike Bibby's missed jumper for the win. Video after the jump.

For a team that's often praised for its hard work and mastery of the fundamentals, not boxing out the most athletic player on the court with the game on the line seems like a pretty big thing to forget about. You can't fault Chuck Hayes for coming over to contest Bibby's shot, but once the shot went up, you can absolutely fault him for not putting a body on someone to prevent that game-winning offensive rebound.

Josh Smith Beats the Rockets originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA MVP Rankings: Can LBJ Repeat?

Tom Ziller — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Hawks, Heat, Lakers, Mavericks, Raptors, NBA Awards

Every few weeks, FanHouse will offer a writer's opinion on the current NBA MVP Rankings. This time, Tom Ziller gives his top 20 through the season's first four weeks, as well as an assessment of the multitude of rookie point guards.

1. LeBron James, Cleveland. The Chosen One won his fairy tale Podoloff last season before embarking on the Summer of 'Bron, but missed out on the real prize, the O'Brien. This season, with the Finals on his mind and free agency taking up slot No. 2, LeBron doesn't exactly seem to be gunning for a repeat MVP coronation. But who cares? The offseason shooting work worked: James is matching his '08-09 scoring average (28 points a game) on two fewer FGAs, owing to a much improved jumper. Thirty-six percent from long range? Be afraid, America.

2. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas. My brosef Bethlehem Shoals has handed Dirk the early season lead, and with good reason: the Mavericks are smoking, and Nowitzki's the ringleader. Dirk can and will shoot more efficiently, but don't forget that because he primarily shoots jumpers he rarely coughs up turnovers (just 18 through 12 games). He's also rebounding like a champ, and forcing flashbacks to his '06-07 MVP season.

3. Chris Bosh, Toronto. The Raptors can't quite put it together as a team, though there are signs of a pending breakthrough. But Bosh has it together individually, and he's shattering the old definition of Bosh. Playing two fewer minutes a game in the high-octane Toronto attack, Bosh is averaging an extra four points (with just one extra FGA) and almost four more rebounds a night. Call this the Chris Paul Memorial "Outshone by Ridiculousness" Third-Place Award, for now.

4. Josh Smith, Atlanta. Speaking of putting it altogether, a la Bosh. Smith abandoned the three (for the most part) and took over the paint. His field goal percentage is outrageous (56 percent, compared with 45 percent career), his rebounding has been stellar and he has regained the indefatigable blocking spirit missing from the soulless but successful '08-09 campaign. It's like the exclamatory Smith from Atlanta's lean years has found a way to exist within the framework of team success. And it is GLORIOUS.

5. Dwyane Wade, Miami. Wade will probably never win a Podoloff -- he's already 28, LeBron has gone into full-on Madman mode, and the next wave is ready to rise up -- and he has definitely relaxed a bit from that psychotic '08-09 bit. Of course, this is because he has more, better help, especially on defense (Jermaine O'Neal is downright spry). Still, 27/5/5? Not sane.

6. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles. This ranking is too low for the extraordinary Bryant, but that's owed more to the excellence above than anything Kobe has done. The Mamba is shooting more frequently than anyone in the league (excluding Antawn Jamison's night of infamy), and he's making plenty of his attempts. The surprising thing in the pre-Gasol games has been Kobe's lack of assists. He's at 2.9 per game right now, the lowest level since he was 19 years old. And even then he averaged 2.5 per game ... in 13 fewer minutes a night. With Kobe's scoring where it is, it's not a huge problem. But it bears monitoring. So, you know, we can call him selfish the next time there's a two-game losing streak.

7. Brandon Roy, Portland. Like Dirk, Roy's shooting looks a bit off in the ledger right now, but that's owed to a slow start amid the Blake-Miller media malaise. Now that 'Dre is in charge, Roy is back, with the Blazers on his back. Like Dirk Part II, Roy is sure as Brevin Knight (slight exaggeration) with the rock, only giving up two turnovers a night despite 15 shots, seven free throws and five assists. That is some ridiculous ball efficiency. Naismith weeps in joy.

8. Carmelo Anthony, Denver. 'Melo has made a mockery of his rep, coalescing last season's defense/periphery-focused approach with his original Murderous Scorer persona to create some jacked-up Megatron of Impending Doom. It's all come out to the most effortless 30-point per game average in recent memory, a razor-like focus I can't see fading over the long march. All these cats on the list should matter in the postseason, assuming everyone makes it. (Looking at you, CB4.) But you can really foresee 'Melo taking May by its haunches, can't you?

9. Chris Paul, New Orleans. Paul is injured badly, and will fall from this perch as his absence rolls on. Because -- not in spite of, because -- of that, what he did in 10 games deserves mention: 24/9 on a True Shooting percentage of (ahem) .706. Paul shot better from three than almost the entire league shoots in the paint. All birds touch Earth some day, and it's unlikely CP3 would have kept up the clip. But doing it for 10 games is a triumph in itself.

10. Dwight Howard, Orlando. Even though the early going has been a disappointment for Howard and the Magic, the young Superman has still dominated the paint with regularity, and with ease. It's the "ease" that bothers -- there's a sense that, based on previous exploits, Howard could be doing more. On defense, especially. But he leads the league in defensive rebound rates and is currently second in total rebound rate. He leads the league in field goal percentage. He's fine.

11. Steve Nash, Phoenix. The Suns have been amazing, and refreshing, but it's amazing and not refreshing to see Nash mentioned as an early MVP candidate. His offensive contribution remains exemplary (hence this fairly lofty rank above some deserving friends), but -- here's this old canard -- his defense can't be hidden, not now and not in April. Phoenix is a bottom tier defensive squad, and while the frontline is less than optimal, Nash is a huge, glaring reason as to why opponents score at near-will. It's not Nash's fault -- his flaw is a physical one, and he knows (as well as Alvin Gentry and thankgoodnessnow Steve Kerr) to play and prepare to his strength. But it's there, it's readily apparent, and it's non-negotiable.

12. Joe Johnson, Atlanta. That Johnson's best pro season has coincided with Atlanta's leap up the leaderboard is not coincidence. J.J. has basically been a more gunner-y, less stopper-ish Roy. One could argue he belongs way up this list (like, say, alongside Roy), but Atlanta's backcourt is giving up as many open looks as the frontcourt (anchored by Smith and stout Al Horford), and while Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford are leading suspects, J.J. is not immune from rotating late.

13. Rajon Rondo / 14. Kevin Garnett, Boston. Rondo and Garnett don't drop jaws in the stat lines (OK, Rondo's numbers at least leaves jaws aloof on occasion), but there's a reason Boston again has the league's best defense, and I'm willing to credit the continued physical psychosis of Rondo and the return of a not-quite-healthy-but-still-incredible Big Ticket. Rondo is like the defensive version of Nash. I could read a story about Rondo working with a physicist on finding the most anatomically efficient method of swiping at a live dribble without batting an eye. As for Garnett, he still has the mental capacity to stop any scorer, and the physical capacity hasn't left him yet. For basketball's sake, I hope it's not over for at least a couple more years.

15. Joakim Noah, Chicago. Laugh (at me and him), but Noah's superlative defense and energetic flavor have kept the Bulls afloat despite struggles for Derrick Rose and John Salmons, and injuries (one emotional, one physical) to Tyrus Thomas. If not for Noah and Luol Deng (playing as well as he ever has after recovering from a leg fracture last spring), the Bulls might be sitting on one or two wins. What a steal at No. 9 in the 2007 draft.

16. Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles. I said you could laugh at the Noah pick, but hold your fire here. Q(uick): how does one score 20 points on 14 shots in the NBA? Ask Andrew Bynum, who's gone 20/12, basically, and might actually improve considering he's been more efficient in the past. The Lakers have missed Pau Gasol -- that's undeniable. But Bynum has helped Bryant keep the Lakers elite during that absence. Bynum showed in the past how well he works with Pau, and I expect that while the center's raw numbers will fall to make room for the star Spaniard, his effectiveness will continue to shine through.

17. Danny Granger, Indiana. Granger continues to build his invisible brand. The Pacers look better (excepting the loss to the Knicks), and Granger is outpacing his own standard, averaging roughly 25/7. His shooting efficiency is grand, owing to an underhyped propensity to get to the stripe and a killer three-point stroke (which is a bit behind in the early going). The defense is also coming along. That's wasted in Indiana, of course, but it's still nice to have in your back pocket. (Shockingly, Indiana is currently in the top 10.)

18. Greg Oden, Portland. Did someone say defense? The Blazers improbably boast the league's No. 2 defense, and Oden -- all 24 minutes per game -- is the biggest reason. Oden leads the league in rebound rate (grabbing 20.9 percent of all rebound opportunities) and block rate (swatting 7.6 percent of all opponent FGAs while on the court). While Oden's on the court, opponents shoot 43 percent from the field, which is, my friend, ridiculous. At the other end, while Oden turns the ball over way too much (about three for every 36 minutes played), he doesn't take shots he can't make, and his free throw rate is shockingly good for a defensive specialist big man. So, yay Greg Oden. You're doing it.

19. Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee. The triumphs heaped upon the wonderfully joying Jennings may not last -- forget the rookie wall, there's an inkling Jennings might be on a serious hot streak before accounting for the schedule-based struggles first-year players often see. In that case, let's pile on now. Not even Jennings, confident as he's been, could have expected this much success so early. Heck, it was a minor upset than Jennings won over coach Scott Skiles enough to get the starting job over Luke Ridnour (a victory, you'll remember, Ramon Sessions couldn't quite reach most of last year). Jennings has been a scoring wizard, a legit playmaker and a mascot for a team in desperate need of spirit. Well done, sir. Well done.

20. Amar'e Stoudemire, Phoenix. Stoudemire has seen a decline in his numbers despite the Gentry reversion, but he has seemingly gotten his head on straight and his defense (while still not exactly excellent) has improved. In the interest of promoting this type of behavior, let's give Stoudemire as much credit as we would if he were still averaging 25 points and 10 blown defensive rebounds a game.

Five more: Tim Duncan, Andrew Bogut, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Ben Gordon.

Etc.: Top Rookie Point Guards

1. Jennings.

2. Tyreke Evans, Sacramento. Evans has scored 20 points in each of his past five games, and is putting up numbers which could be defined as Roy-ish/R.O.Y.-ish. During the course of a game, you can actually see him learning NBA defense. It's pretty striking how receptive to real-world lessons Evans has been -- it's like he learns through basketball osmosis, giving new meaning to "trial by fire." Kudos as well for spending so much time with assistant coach/basketball Yoda Pete Carril, who has turned this fellow into a really good free throw shooter. (How often does an average college FT shooter fail to improve in the pros? Evans has been in the lig four weeks.)

3. Jonny Flynn, Minnesota. Ramon Sessions has now been displaced by two rookie point guards -- first Jennings, now Flynn, who isn't getting too many assists (just 3.2 per game) but has been a bright spot in an otherwise dispiriting situation.

4. Ty Lawson, Denver. I have no idea why anybody would be surprised that Lawson, as efficient a college point guard as he was, is just as successful as a blur off the bench for a team like the Nuggets.

5. Rodrigue Beaubois, Dallas. Beaubois, on the other hand, I can understand. The young Maverick is now featured with Jason Kidd in a double-PG starting line-up, shattering all early expectations. Beaubois hasn't quite been the Caribbean Westbrook we'd expected, but no one will care if he keeps shooting like a Dwarven rifleman.

6. Stephen Curry, Golden State.

7. Darren Collison, New Orleans. Collison has plenty to learn about defending the Steve Nash pick-and-roll, but don't we all? Collison missed a ton of shots against Phoenix Thursday, but stuck with it and sealed the game with a ballsy drive to the rim in the final moments. Bully for you, sir.

8. Eric Maynor, Utah.

9. Jeff Teague, Atlanta.

Nowhere to be found in North America: Ricky Rubio, Minnesota.

NBA MVP Rankings: Can LBJ Repeat? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Power Rankings: Soaring Hawks

Brett Pollakoff — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Celtics, Hawks, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pacers, Suns, Trail Blazers, NBA Power Rankings

The Atlanta Hawks find themselves at the top of our rankings this week, thanks to a five-game winning streak against some strong competition -- a gritty overtime win over the Blazers and a road win in Boston were both impressive. Now, let's see if they can avoid the top-spot-jinx on Wednesday night, when they'll host Miami in a rematch of last year's first round playoff series. As for the other 29 teams? Read on to see how they stacked up.

1. Hawks (9-2) | Prev.: 5
Early front-runner for Sixth Man Award: Jamal Crawford. And by the way, who was Joe Johnson calling out earlier in the season and why? -- Matt Steinmetz
2. Suns (10-2) | Prev.: 2
Is there any other player in the league who can go 2-for-10 from the floor - which Nash did against Houston on Tuesday night - and still be the most influential player on the court? -- MS
3. Cavaliers (8-3) | Prev.: 12
The Cavs are still miles away from where they were last year, but who cares? They've won five in a row and eight of their last nine, and haven't missed a beat with Shaquille O'Neal sitting the last two with injury. Expect this team to continue picking up steam: four of their next five opponents are currently under .500. -- Matt Watson
4. Nuggets (8-3) | Prev.: 8
Carmelo Anthony dances with the Gods and charms their eyelids to slumber. Also, this Birdman blonde goatee thing he's growing is creeping me out. In conclusion, this team's really good. -- Matt Moore
5. Lakers (8-3) | Prev.: 1
Nothing to see here, people. Move along. Lakers are doing just fine, thank you - 8-3 and Pau Gasol hasn't even played a game yet. -- MS
6. Mavericks (8-3) | Prev.: 6
The Mavericks aren't considered elite at the moment, and we're struggling to figure out why. Victories over the Lakers and Rockets, and the fifth highest point differential in the league all have led to an 8-3 record. The opening night what the what loss to the surprisingly miserable Wizards doesn't look great, nor does the utter collapse against the Spurs without Duncan and Parker inspire confidence. But in the interim, Dirk Nowitzki's playing like the elite player he is, Jason Kidd is ripping out assists at a high rate, and Rodrigue Beaubois is a surprisingly talented rookie at both ends of the floor. Why are we always surprised at Dallas? -- MM
7. Magic (8-3) | Prev.: 9
Just as Rashard Lewis returns from suspension, Jameer Nelson goes down with a knee injury. He's expected back in 4-6 weeks, but that could put is into the new year before we get to see Orlando begin to try to work on its chemistry issues. -- BP

8. Celtics (8-3) | Prev.: 3
The blistering start with the return of Kevin Garnett and addition of Rasheed Wallace has begotten a hiccup of sorts, with losses to the Hawks and Pacers. The other Celtics loss came at the hands of the sizzling Suns, and yes, one of these teams is not like the other. Paul Pierce is banged up, and needless to say his health is vital for this team's offense. -- Tom Ziller
9. Blazers (8-4) | Prev.: 7
Portland has improved with every game, and has become a defensive force. Greg Oden is finally living up to his potential, even if it's only on the defensive side of the ball. If Nate McMillan can figure out how to better work in Andre Miller, this team looks primed for a deep, deep run in the playoffs and ready to take their place as the Lakers' heir apparent. Denver might have something to say about that, however. -- MM

10. Pacers (5-3) | Prev.: 24
There's two ways to look at Indiana's five-game winning streak. On the one hand, they've feasted on some cupcakes with a combined 14-37 record -- their home victory over the Celtics was their only opponent in that span with a winning record. That said, you play the games that are on the schedule, and the Pacers have answered the call with flair, winning by an average of nearly 12 points a game. Danny Granger remains one of the most underrated stars in the game, and Roy Hibbert is emerging into a double-double machine. -- MW

11. Rockets (6-5) | Prev.: 13
The John McClane of the NBA. There's no raucous feel-good attitude to this team. They're not pleasantly surprised when their offense lets them outscore a team or two. They expect to win every single game and kill themselves in the pursuit of that goal. And keep this in mind, the Rockets have yet to lose to a sub-.500 team, and two of their losses (Portland and LA) were followed by wins over those same teams. "Yippee ki-yay, Southwest Division." -- MM

12. Bulls (6-4) | Prev.: 10
The Bulls have an intriguing mix of veterans and youth -- and sure, to his credit, Vinny Del Negro hasn't been awful -- but there's just one glaring concern: they simply can't score, at least not on a consistent basis. It's a rare night the Bulls are outworked, but can they keep up their stamina while spending the next two weeks on the road on their cursed circus trip? A decade-long sample size suggests not: over the last 10 years, the Bulls have gone 9-56 on the annual early-season rite of passage. -- MW

13. Bucks (5-3) | Prev.: 15
Remember all the questions surrounding Brandon Jennings on draft day? How he watched his name called from a hotel room because none of the teams in the lottery could guarantee he wouldn't be the last in the green room? He's needed fewer than 10 games to make a lot of seasoned execs turn red -- even before his 55-point outburst made him a household name. Forget Rookie of the Year -- at this point in the (still extremely) young season, Jennings has to be included in the MVP conversation. -- MW

14. Thunder (6-5) | Prev.: 14
Don't look now, but the Thunder are still above .500 in the middle of November. Not exactly the biggest feat, but considering wins over the Spurs, Heat, and the Magic, the potential is there for this team to make a playoff run. But they've got to get better consistency from the Big 3 (Durant, Green, Westbrook), and quit losing silly games like Sunday's banana-peel blooper against the Clippers. -- MM

15. Heat (7-3) | Prev.: 4
Dwyane Wade saved the day when the team was short-handed against the Nets, but Miami was at full strength when they lost the next time out to the Thunder. The fact that no one's showing up to their home games definitely isn't helping the Heat take care of business against teams they should beat, and that situation isn't likely to change anytime soon. -- BP

16. Raptors (5-6) | Prev.: 16
Every game the Raptors lose seems like a waste of a superlative effort by Chris Bosh, the league's best big man early this season. Toronto has a dominant offense, capable of scoring on any team in the league. But the defense is as bad as ever: the team does everything poorly. Shooting defense? Awful. Opponent turnover rate? Awful. Defensive rebounding? Awful. Opponent free throw rate? Awful. Reggie Evans can help whenever he makes his season debut (he sprained a foot in preseason), but he won't be able to fix all these problems. That's problematic, if you figure the offense won't keep clicking like this forever. -- TZ

17. Kings (5-5) | Prev.: 20
Sacramento may be middle of the pack when it comes to these power rankings, but the Kings are among the NBA's elite when it comes to teams that play hard. All in all, a nice start to the Paul Westphal era. -- MS

18. Spurs (4-4) | Prev.: 11
Feast or famine. Win over the Mavericks or loss to the Thunder. Struggling to find an identity with the All-Stars or playing with fire without them. The Spurs are just weird right now. Every time they seem to be figuring things out (wins over Toronto and Mavericks in laughers), they turn around and do something like lose at home to the Thunder. But at least everyone's healthy...ish. For now. Eeeeee. -- MM

19. Pistons (5-6) | Prev.: 18
Considering they've played the last nine games without two veteran starters, the new-look Pistons are actually hanging in there. You want to talk about depth? Four different players have taken turns as the high scorer in the last four games. Will Bynum, who opened the year as the fourth guard, has averaged nearly 22 points a game in the last four while emerging as the team's best playmaker. So what's the bad news? This roster still needs another scoring big man to be taken seriously. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince need to hurry back -- so Joe Dumars can put them on the trading block. -- MW

20. Jazz (4-6) | Prev.: 17
Fear for the Jazz. They're still dangerous and have time to get it together, but this team is a mess in terms of chemistry, effort, and focus. Sloan needs to do something to regain his team's attention. -- MM

21. 76ers (4-6) | Prev.: 23
The surprising problem for the 76ers, who have typically started slowly during the Andre Iguodala era, has been its defense, which doesn't reflect well on coach Eddie Jordan. Opponents are shooting an absurd 41 percent from three against Philly -- that figure was closer to league average (36.7 percent) last season. The team is still generating turnovers, but the perimeter players have apparently forgotten to stick a hand in the shooters' faces. Bummer, since the Sixers (despite adding designated sniper Jason Kapono) can't make it up with threes of their own. -- TZ

22. Bobcats (3-7) | Prev.: 19
Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw and Gerald Wallace: Versatility or uniformity? Can't get that old Dylan lyric out of my head ... "... something is happening here but you don't know what it is ..." -- MS

23. Hornets (4-8) | Prev.: 21
From good, to bad, to worse, to oh noes, to "well, at least they beat the Clippers." The Hornets are in bad shape, with no real mercy in sight, and ownership is considering shipping newly acquired Emeka Okafor out of town, if you believe the reports. Scott's already gone, and Chris Paul's on the shelf. Long is not the word for what their season looks like. Agonizing. That's more like it. -- MM

24. Clippers (4-8) | Prev.: 22
Sure, everyone is waiting for Blake Griffin. But in the meantime, the Clippers really miss Eric Gordon. What's more, the Clippers are off to a terrible start at home (2-5). -- MS

25. Wizards (2-7) | Prev.: 25
Gilbert Arenas is back to being Agent Zero, and even has a Lil Penny-style video on his website to prove it. He's also said he'll begin doing the Twitter thing once he gets to a million followers, but Wizards fans would probably rather have some wins at this point than quirky quotes from their favorite player. Actually, scratch that: they're Wizards fans, so I've probably got that backwards. -- BP

26. Warriors (3-7) | Prev.: 26
Stephen Jackson's gone, Monta Ellis might be next and in the meantime Golden State is looking at this in the short-term: at Boston, vs. Portland, at Dallas, at San Antonio, vs. L.A. Lakers. -- MS

27. Grizzlies (2-8) | Prev.: 29
They replaced Allen Iverson who refused to come off the bench for them and then abandoned them, with Jamal Tinsley. I'm not even going to comment on that one. Just let that one stew in its own juices for a while. -- MM

28. Timberwolves (1-10) | Prev.: 27
Good news. Kevin Love is healing and the Wolves will likely have a return date on Friday after an X-Ray. Bad news. David Kahn seems to be already feeling the pressure for his point-guard splurges and the Rubio disaster. This franchise for all its excitement when Kahn was hired, somehow looks worse than it did under McHale. Yikes. -- MM

29. Knicks (1-9) | Prev.: 28
The Knicks truly couldn't be doing more to end the LeBron, Wade and Bosh speculation by Christmas. The team is awful and miserable after an awful and miserly summer. Sacrificing in the present for future success is obviously a world-worn strategy, but it's still little excuse for assembling so little talent and showing so little spirit. And the poor fans can't even root on John Wall! Sad. -- TZ

30. Nets (0-11) | Prev.: 30
Another 0-fer week for our heroic New Jersey Nets. This Saturday should provide a decent opportunity for Win No. 1: the Knicks are coming to town! And seriously, what a depressing affair that will be. Courtney Lee and Devin Harris may be back for that one; expect a full-on basketball war from the home team. -- TZ

NBA Power Rankings: Soaring Hawks originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hawks' Patience Finally Paying Off

Tim Povtak — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hawks

The surprising Atlanta Hawks -- and the way they were built -- should become required study for those NBA general managers who wheel and deal too fast, making change for the sake of change, always searching for the quick fix.

The Hawks are proving that patience does work.

The Hawks (9-2) have become the top team in the East, quietly moving past the freer spending Celtics, Cavaliers and Magic, the high-profile contenders who previously thought it was a three-team race to the top of the conference.

No. 4 has crashed the party.

More: Hawks Soar to Top of NBA Power Rankings

The Hawks are home Wednesday night against the Miami Heat, another team having some early, unexpected success. While a national television audience will be watching the Cavs-Wizards, LeBron James-Gilbert Arenas matchup, it's the Hawks-Heat winner that likely will produce the conference's best record.

"It's kind of nice to sit at the top of the division,'' Hawks coach Mike Woodson told reporters earlier this week. "There is nothing wrong with winning your division.''

The Hawks are no fluke. They are part of a slow and steady climb to the top, expecting their fifth consecutive season of winning more games than the year before. They have gone from 13, 26, 30, 37 and 47 victories, building mostly through the draft with some trades and free agency signings mixed in. They appear headed for their first 55-win season since 1997.

They drafted three of their starters (Al Horford, 2007, Josh Smith, 2004, and Marvin Williams, 2005). And they have waited patiently for each to develop. They paid big money for shooting guard Joe Johnson, their only All-Star, in 2005. And they traded for point guard Mike Bibby midway in the 2007-08 season.

They brought back seven of their top eight players from last season, traded this summer for sixth-man Jamal Crawford, and they now are reaping the rewards for their development together. Horford, although undersized, is proving tough enough to play with the best centers. Smith is maturing nicely. Johnson remains the low-key leader who leads by example.

Crawford ($9 million) might be the only player on their roster who looks too pricey, but he has been big in reserve. Unlike Boston, Cleveland and Orlando, teams that changed their chemistry with high-profile moves this summer, the Hawks mostly stayed the course. Their $64 million team payroll is in the middle of the pack, proving you can win without spending the most money.

"This is not the team it was three-four years ago, even though we have some of the same guys,'' Woodson said. "We've got guys that have been together, and they've grown up together.''

They have beaten Boston, Portland twice and Denver. They beat Miami last spring in the first round of the playoffs, only to get swept by the Cavaliers in the second round. It was the deepest they have been in the playoffs since 1999.

"I think we can do something special here,'' veteran Joe Smith told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Smith was one of their low-budget additions who is proving to be a wise choice. "The sky is pretty much the limit if we believe in each other.''

Hawks' Patience Finally Paying Off originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Josh Smith Path to Salvation: Who Should Convert?

Tom Ziller — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Bobcats, Hawks, Heat, Nuggets, Warriors

Hawks buzzard Josh Smith has famously wasted quite a few Atlanta possessions over the years by taking ill-advised three-pointers. That phraseology is actually redundant when it comes to Smith: it would be considered ill to ever advise Smith to take a three.

Thankfully, someone showed Josh the light, and he hasn't attempted a trey all season. He convinces when he tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he hasn't even felt tempted to fire up a bomb. He found Basketball Jesus! Like a good son of the word, he should spread his experience. Which players would most benefit from a Brother Smith knock at the door?

Monta Ellis, G, Golden State. Ellis has a career three-point shooting mark of 29.1 percent. He has slowed his outside trigger this year, but averages 1.3 three attempts per game over his career.

Anthony Carter, PG, Denver. You may be interested to learn that Carter, who seems to fancy himself a designated gunner at times in Denver, has a career 23.9 percent mark from downtown. He took 217 threes over the previous two seasons, and hit only 66. Not a good look.

Gerald Wallace, F, Charlotte. Smith's kindred spirit has certainly backed off trey-shooting heights reached under Sam Vincent, but one three for Crash is one three too many. Incidentally, Wallace has hit exactly one three this year ... in 10 attempts.

And finally, Dwyane Wade, SG, Miami. Maybe it's sacrilege to suggest a superstar should abandon a shot as part-and-parcel to basketball as the three-point basket, but let me burn, brothers.

Wade is never going to learn how to consistently hit a three-pointer. He's a career 28.1 percent deep shooter, and last season he hit his peak of ... 31.7 percent. For a guy who gets to the rim at will, draws an unbelievable amount of fouls and hits two-pointers at an above-average rate, he needs to let the three go. (Of course, I write that after a game in which Wade hit three of six. C'est la vie.)

If Wade needs to pace himself on pace, there are better ways to use the rest possessions than by firing up threes. Like, almost anything short of handing the ball to the other team would be better. (That's only a small exaggeration.)

I never thought I'd be advising Dwyane Wade to take a page from Josh Smith's book, but there you go.

The Josh Smith Path to Salvation: Who Should Convert? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Power Rankings: Rising Suns

Brett Pollakoff — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Cavaliers, Celtics, Hawks, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Nuggets, Suns, Trail Blazers, NBA Power Rankings

We're just eight games into the season, but there's no doubt who the surprise team is at this point. The Phoenix Suns are off to a 7-1 start, and have road wins over two of the three remaining one-loss teams. They've done it with Steve Nash leading the league in assists at almost 13 per game, and with the team leading the league in three-point shooting at a ridiculous 47 percent. But all of that only got the Suns to No. 2 in this week's rankings -- read on to see who's on top.

1. Lakers (6-1) | Prev.: 5
Pau Gasol has yet to play a game this season, and Andrew Bynum has missed the last two. But when Kobe Bryant goes for 40 or more three times in the team's first seven games, well, the wins just seem to come anyway.
2. Suns (7-1) | Prev.: 7
You could make a case for the Suns rising all the way to the top this week, especially considering the strength of their recent competition -- which they mostly steamrolled. But one or two doesn't make a whole lot of difference in November, and Phoenix will get their chance at the top-ranked Lakers soon enough: They head to L.A. for a TNT showdown Thursday.
3. Celtics (7-1) | Prev.: 2
After opening the season with eight games in 11 days, the Celtics looked weary in their last two. But they came out of it with just a single loss, and they still lead the league in point differential with an impressive + 14.1 -- the second best team in that department is only at +7.8.
4. Heat (5-1) | Prev.: 8
Contract years are a beautiful thing. Quentin Richardson is in one, and he's set a career mark for most consecutive games with at least nine rebounds -- Q has done it in five straight (and counting).
5. Hawks (5-2) | Prev.: 11
Jamal Crawford is thriving in his sixth man role, and has led or shared the team lead in scoring three times. The Hawks finally put it all together in a dismantling of the Nuggets at home, but whether or not they can take that same show on the road Friday in Boston will say a lot about exactly where this team is at this early point in the season.
6. Mavericks (5-2) | Prev.: 4
Dallas has actually looked like one of the top teams this season, but the fact that they gave away a game at the free throw line cannot go unpunished. But the next night Josh Howard returned, and so did the Mavs' solid play: They crushed the Raptors by 28 points.
7. Blazers (4-3) | Prev.: 13
Nate McMillan pushed the right button in placing Andre Miller alongside Brandon Roy and Steve Blake in the starting lineup, and the team is 2-0 since he made that adjustment.
8. Nuggets (5-2) | Prev.: 3
After the strong start, Denver has dropped two straight since Kenyon Martin went down with an injury. But Anthony Carter might have said it best after the Nuggets' first loss of the season: "When one person goes down, that's why everybody else gets paid to play. Kenyon ain't the whole team."
9. Magic (5-2) | Prev.: 1
Orlando has done well to start 5-2, playing without the suspended Rashard Lewis since the beginning, and missing Vince Carter for four of the last five with an ankle injury. Ryan Anderson had been filling in nicely, but losing him to an injury was too much to overcome, as Orlando lost by 28 without him in Oklahoma City.

10. Bulls (4-2) | Prev.: 16
Winners of three straight after the slow start, including a close one in Cleveland against LeBron and the Cavs. Joakim Noah has been so solid this season that he's making a local columnist eat his words -- literally, and with salsa no less.

11. Spurs (3-3) | Prev.: 6
Tony Parker is expected to miss about a week with an ankle sprain, but Manu Ginobili made sure the team wouldn't drop two straight. He went nuts against Toronto with 36 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and four blocked shots in 32 minutes off the bench. Batman, indeed.

12. Cavaliers (4-3) | Prev.: 10
The media circus surrounding the Cavs feasted last Friday at Madison Square Garden, when the "LeBron James to the Knicks" talk reached a fever pitch. They've had a few days to recover, just in time for Shaquille O'Neal versus Dwight Howard (and Stan Van Gundy) on ESPN this Wednesday.

13. Rockets (4-2) | Prev.: 9
The Rockets have played better than anyone expected, and have done it by playing smart, hard-nosed basketball. Unfortunately for them, Tracy McGrady is getting ready to come back and ruin everything, although the exact timing of his return is something that (surprise!) he and the team don't see eye to eye on.

14. Thunder (3-3) | Prev.: 14
Took apart a depleted Orlando Magic squad, and showed that if you don't make defense a priority against them, this Thunder team is capable of lighting you up -- they shot over 57 percent from the field, and over 53 percent from three-point land in that one. Oh, and also, there's this.

15. Bucks (3-2) | Prev.: 22
Winners of two straight in convincing fashion over the T'Wolves and the Knicks, and it could have been three in a row had they been able to protect an 18-point lead against the Bulls. But Brandon Jennings continues to impress, Andrew Bugut has done the heavy lifting, and everyone else is contributing just enough to keep the team afloat while Michael Redd is out.

16. Raptors (3-4) | Prev.: 21
It's been a pretty simple formula for the Raps this season: hold the other team under 100 points, and win (three times). Allow the other team to get into triple digits, and lose (four times). In other news, Chris Bosh continues his dominant season, with averages of 29 points and 11.6 rebounds through the team's first seven games.

17. Jazz (3-4) | Prev.: 17
Something's off with this year's Jazz team, but it's hard to tell exactly what it is yet. Consistency is something all teams struggle with, especially early on. But home losses aren't the way Utah normally does business, and they already have two to teams that, on paper, they should seemingly beat: the Rockets and the Kings.

18. Pistons (3-4) | Prev.: 23
Sure, I could drone on about the ups and downs of the team's season with Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince sidelined with injuries. But instead, do yourself a favor and read Matt Watson's excellent piece on the forced rebuilding situation in Detroit.

19. Bobcats (3-3) | Prev.: 18
Charlotte is an interesting team. They hammered the Hawks and hung with the Bulls this week, while Gerald Wallace (much to the delight of our own Matt Steinmetz) finally got himself a few assists -- three, to be exact, after going 94 field goal attempts without one through the team's first four games.

20. Kings (3-4) | Prev.: 26
No Kevin Martin? No problem for the Kings, what with the quick coming of age of rookie Tyreke Evans. Evans has led the team to two wins in Martin's absence, and is quickly making the term "combo guard" look very much like something that GMs should start to consider as a positive.

21. Hornets (3-5) | Prev.: 20
NOLA was very fortunate to beat the Mavs, looked wretched against the Raptors and Lakers, then rose up and delivered a 28-point road beatdown to the Clippers. David West's scoring and rebounding averages are down significantly from last year, and unless he can get back to having some occasionally monster performances, the team's going to continue to struggle.

22. Clippers (3-5) | Prev.: 25
Chris Kaman won the Western Conference player of the week award, which, considering he was competing against some 40-point performances from Kobe Bryant, was somewhat impressive. The Clips went 3-0 on the week, and Kaman averaged 24.3 points on .574 shooting from the field, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. Sure, it all came to an abrupt end on Monday against the Hornets, but it was a good run while it lasted.

23. Sixers (3-4) | Prev.: 15
Philly seems to be still staggering after the Celtics beat them by 31 in the fourth game of the season. Since, they were lucky to beat a seriously undermanned Nets team, and followed that up with losses to the Pistons and the Suns.

24. Pacers (2-3) | Prev.: 29
After starting 0-3 against some quality competition, the Pacers have two wins over the Knicks and the Wizards -- the latter of which caused Washington to sacrifice a snack tray in frustration afterwards.

25. Wizards (2-5) | Prev.: 12
Things aren't going well in Washington, but the rumors of friction between Gilbert Arenas and Flip Saunders seem to be a bit ridiculous. Meanwhile, the team should be fine once Antawn Jamison returns, and three of the last four losses were to upper echelon teams, so it's not time to push the panic button just yet.

26. Warriors (2-4) | Prev.: 28
If these rankings were based on organizational health, the Warriors would be dead last. But as they showed in putting up 146 points on the T'Wolves on Monday, there's some talent on this roster that needs to be dealt with. Unfortunately, as long as Nellie is running the ship and Steven Jackson is in town, winning is going to be the exception, not the norm.

27. Timberwolves (1-7) | Prev.: 27
Jonny Flynn has been solid, but as long as Al Jefferson continues to struggle offensively, the T'Wolves are going to continue to have problems keeping pace.

28. Knicks (1-7) | Prev.: 19
What never gets mentioned in all the "LeBron to New York" talk is the fact that Mike D'Antoni's system appears to be just an awful, awful fit for the talents of King James.

29. Grizzlies (1-7) | Prev.: 24
The team needs to get out of the shadow of Allen Iverson -- whether it's due to trading him, waiving him, or his choosing to retire -- before they'll have any chance of moving in a positive direction.

30. Nets (0-7) | Prev.: 30
Thanks to a rash of injuries and ailments -- including swine flu taking out Chris Douglas-Roberts -- the team was actually forced to practice against furniture due to a lack of available bodies.

NBA Power Rankings: Rising Suns originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doing Lines: Tyreke Evans Busts Out

Brett Pollakoff — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:25:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Hawks, Jazz, Kings, Mavericks, Nuggets, Raptors, NBA Last Night

Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the lig. Doing Lines lets you know which one tops the list.

If you're not a close follower of the NBA, then just six games or so into the season, we can't necessarily hold it against you if the name Tyreke Evans doesn't ring a bell. Besides being a rookie, Evans plays for the Sacramento Kings, a team that won just 17 games a season ago, and figured to be about as bad this year with stud scorer Kevin Martin sidelined indefinitely with an injury.

But after what Evans did to Deron Williams in leading his undermanned team to a road win in Utah on Saturday, he won't remain anonymous to basketball fans for much longer.

Evans was the game's high scorer, finishing with a career high (obviously) 32 points, on 7-for-15 shooting, with seven assists and three rebounds. He fearlessly attacked the basket all night long, which is the reason for his 19 free throw attempts -- 16 of which the kid made.

This performance from Evans is a bit of a surprise, considering the fact that when the Kings dropped 127 points on Memphis earlier in the week, the rookie scored just three. But that was with Martin in the lineup, who has the ball in his hands quite a bit -- and with a scoring average of over 30 points per game, shoots it a lot, too. With Martin out, Evans had no problem taking over the leadership role, which is pretty impressive for a rookie playing in just his sixth game as a pro.

Deron Williams had a pretty great game himself in the losing effort, pouring in 29 points and dishing out 15 assists. But since Evans was the one who ended up on the winning end of things, you'd think the least that ESPN could do for him would be to actually get his photo into their game recap.

Down in Atlanta, the Hawks rose up and handed the Nuggets their second straight loss. Denver was playing without the injured Kenyon Martin, and Josh Smith made the most of his absence.

Smith was dominant on both ends of the floor, putting up a ridiculous line of 22 points, nine rebounds, seven assists ... and six blocked shots! When you add in the continued strong play of Jamal Crawford off the bench (25, four, and four), and Carmelo Anthony's struggle to get 30 points on 21 shots, it's easy to see how the Hawks ran away with this one.

Other notable numbers from Saturday's action:

Joakim Noah put up 21 points, on 10-of-12 shooting, and grabbed 16 rebounds in the Bulls' win over Charlotte. He's quietly becoming one of the most reliable centers in the game.

Josh Howard made his season debut for an already solid Mavericks team, and he looked good doing it. Howard was in the starting lineup, and in just 24 minutes, he had 16 points, four rebounds, two assists, and three steals.

Chris Bosh continued his early-season reminder that he too is one of 2010 free agency's top prizes, by putting up another super-solid line of 26 and 12, on 50 percent shooting from the field.

Doing Lines: Tyreke Evans Busts Out originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Has Jamal Crawford Found Heaven?

Tom Ziller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: Hawks

Atlanta's trade acquisition of Jamal Crawford was seen either as a questionable ploy to correct the Hawks' most deafening weakness (bench guard play), or a quiet coup bound to boost the team to solid ground. Atlanta coach Mike Woodson -- a fundamental-focused, stoic defensive mind -- figured into the argument of the former. Crawford is a mysterious player, not conducive to Woodson's dependency on consistency (Josh Smith aside).

But the latter has actually been true: Woodson seems to really understand what Crawford offers, and Jam has rewarded the coach with stellar play through five games. Atlanta is sitting pretty at 4-1 after a successful 2-1 road swing. And Crawford is having the best season of his career so far.

Of course, it's early. But the Hawks managed to beat the Blazers in Portland and the Wizards at home, and hung with the Lakers in L.A. for a while before ceding the game. Add in wins over the Pacers and Kings, and Atlanta looks much improved.

Much of that can be credited to Crawford, who is shooting the ball better than he ever has. Jam is notoriously streaky, and this could very well be one of those infamous hot stretches. But it isn't as if Crawford is blowing away the record books within the small sample size -- it's conceivable that in his new role Crawford could keep this up. He actually hasn't shot the three-ball well (he's 30 points under his career average so far) and by anecdote he is taking smarter shots in total.

A key has been that Crawford has integrated himself into the main Hawks attack even though he has come off the bench. Woodson has done a great job keeping legit offensive weapons around Crawford, allowing the guard to use ball movement more than he ever could in New York or Golden State. Crawford has basically served as the point guard behind Mike Bibby, but by playing Jam with Joe Johnson, Woodson has relieved some of the associated pressures. After all, Crawford is a pure scorer who can pass a little. (Wednesday night in Sacramento, Woodson also played Crawford with Bibby and Johnson for a stretch, with Marvin Williams stepping up to power forward as Smith dealt with foul trouble. The line-up had a few incredibly smooth possessions.)

One interesting note about Crawford's performance to date has been that he's had one of the highest usage rates of his career. This often happens when starters become bench weapons -- Manu Ginobili and Jason Terry, for instance, usually have incredibly high usage rates. Crawford's usage has only been higher in 2003-04, the guard's final season in Chicago.

Usually, an increase in usage results in a decrease in efficiency. But throughout his career, Crawford has shown the ability to be as efficient with high usage rates as with low ones. (Perhaps a more accurate statement would be that Crawford has shown the ability to be as inefficient with low usage rates as with high ones, but let's not quibble over semantics.)

Crawford can be efficient at a usage rate near 25 percent -- in 2007-08 with New York, Crawford finished with a usage rate of 24.6 percent and an offensive rating of 109, the second best mark of his career. (That low point at the right of the graph is the aforementioned 2003-04 season in Chicago, where Jam wrote his ticket out of the Bulls plans.)

For the record, this season Crawford is at a usage of 24.9 percent. His offensive rating is 127, which would land somewhere around the third paragraph of this post. As I said, he's playing incredible ball this year. The real test, at this point, is what Woodson does when and if Crawford cools off. With Denver's awesome defense coming to Atlanta this weekend and a trip to Boston on tap next week, we could find out pretty soon.

Has Jamal Crawford Found Heaven? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doing Lines: Kobe, 'Melo, Mayo Drop 40

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Grizzlies, Hawks, Lakers, Magic, Nuggets, Raptors, Suns, NBA Last Night

Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the lig. Doing Lines lets you know which one tops the list.

It's not every day that we get to see a player hit for 40 points or more in an NBA game. So on Sunday, when we had three different players meet or surpass the mark, it's definitely something worth discussing.

Especially when two of them did it in the same game.

Anytime the Grizzlies take the court, you can just throw defense right on out the window, because no matter what you do, Memphis is going to light it up with their dizzying array of deadly scorers.

Okay, not usually. But the Grizz had no trouble keeping pace with the Nuggets for most of the night, led by a career-high 40 points from O.J. Mayo. Mayo got there by going 17-25 from the field, and also grabbed five rebounds and handed out four assists.

On any other night, Memphis probably leaves with a win. But not when Carmelo Anthony is on the opposing team, and puts up 42 points of his own, on 15-26 shooting, with seven boards and five assists. It was the first time in his career that Anthony has posted consecutive 40-point games, after going for 41 in his team's Thursday night victory at the Rose Garden over the Blazers.

One more 40-point performance to mention, and that was Kobe Bryant going for 41 against a plucky Atlanta Hawks team. Bryant also had eight rebounds, five steals, and three assists -- all to make sure that the defending champion Lakers didn't dip below .500 after the team's first three games.

Other notable numbers from Sunday's action:

Joe Johnson had 18 points in the first quarter for the Hawks, but finished with just 27.

Chris Bosh had 35 points and 16 rebounds in a losing effort to the Orlando Magic. Dwight Howard had 24 and 11, but most importantly, he hit 14 of his 16 free throw attempts.

Channing Frye had 25 points and five rebounds, but that's not the interesting part: he made six three-pointers for the second straight game (this time on 10 attempts), and now has 13 threes on the season. This is a season career-high for him in made threes, after only three games as a Phoenix Sun.

Doing Lines: Kobe, 'Melo, Mayo Drop 40 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blake Griffin's a Casualty of Too Many NBA Exhibition Games

Tim Povtak — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:25:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, Hawks

Shame on the NBA owners for being greedy, trying to milk their teams for an unbelievable eight exhibition games on top of an already marathon regular season and a taxing playoff march.

Eight is too many. Just ask Los Angeles Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy, who now may be without his star rookie prize Blake Griffin in Tuesday's much-anticipated opener against the cross-arena Lakers.

Griffin hurt his left knee Friday night in exhibition No. 8, a game that never should have been played if the league had listened to players, coaches, trainers and even nonsensical sports writers who have said for years that there is no need for so many meaningless games.

The only ones in the NBA who actually think you need eight exhibition games (and yes, they charge full price) are those counting the cash at the ticket windows.

"I think almost everyone would agree that four games, and two weeks, is enough to get a team ready to start the season,'' said one former NBA player and coach. "You don't need a month, or eight games. I think most everyone was saying a week or two ago, `let's get this regular-season started.'''

Griffin, the No. 1 pick in the 2009 Draft, got hurt trying to put some emphasis on a dunk, came down the wrong way, and limped back down court but stayed in the game. Although not considered too serious, his knee was swollen, and he has needed treatment the past two days. He remains questionable for today's opener.

Griffin had looked impressive during the practice games, creating a buzz around the league with his performance and work ethic, much as expected for a No. 1 pick with great credentials. The Clips, who won only 23 and 19 games the last two seasons, have been promoting Griffin extensively, hoping to ride him to a quick turnaround.

Now he may watching from the bench. The Clips aren't the only one who will suffer from too long of an exhibition schedule.

The Atlanta Hawks, who played like they didn't enjoy playing basketball anymore Friday night against the Magic, may be without center Al Horford for their opener Wednesday night. Horford sprained his ankle in Friday's scrum in Orlando.

Although rookies like Griffin are trying to carve their niche early, veterans aren't playing full speed, knowing no one remembers what happened during practice games. Coaches can see from practices, and from half the number of games, who they want in their lineup for opening night.

You can feel bad for the players, who really didn't want or need the extra practice games, but don't feel bad for the teams, who simply schedule too many games to help cover their bills.

Blake Griffin's a Casualty of Too Many NBA Exhibition Games originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joe Johnson Questions Hawks' Direction

Tim Povtak — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Hawks, FanHouse Exclusive

Joe Johnson wants to believe that his Atlanta Hawks are on the verge of being contenders in the Eastern Conference. They should be getting close.

But going into the start of the NBA's regular season next week, Johnson isn't so sure anymore.

"Sometimes, I can't tell if we really want it,'' Johnson told FanHouse after his Hawks were embarrassed by a 37-point loss Friday night in their final exhibition game by the Orlando Magic. "It's discouraging. Sometimes, you never know what you're going to get from this team. And that won't work.''

The Hawks won 47 games last season, improving their win total for the fourth consecutive year in a very patient, well-planned rebuilding project. They also landed the No. 4 seed in the East last spring, winning their first playoff series in 10 years.

"You see flashes of a team here that can play with anyone. ... Then other nights we're horrible, like we've never played together before."
-- Joe Johnson on the HawksBy adding some depth with Jamal Crawford and Joe Smith to the same young, athletic starting lineup, the Hawks should be looking at their first 50-win season since 1998.

"You see flashes of a team here that can play with anyone in the league, a really good team. Then other nights we're horrible, like we've never played together before,'' he said. "We have to decide, which team do we want to be. And right now, I don't know.''

Although it was merely an exhibition game, the Hawks were at full strength Friday night, starting the same lineup that will open the season Wednesday. Johnson had hoped to use the Magic -- the defending Eastern Conference champs -- as a measuring stick for his team.

And if that was the case, they measured awfully short. And as their best player and only All-Star, Johnson took the performance personally, making him wonder if they are ready for the season to start.

He and the rest of the Hawks were hoping that all the preseason talk about the East being a three-team race between Orlando, Boston and Cleveland might allow them to slip quietly into the mix.

"Right now, I'm not worried about those other three teams,'' Johnson said. "I'm worried about the Atlanta Hawks.''

Joe Johnson Questions Hawks' Direction originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Preview: Hawks

Will Brinson — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hawks, NBA Previews

FanHouse previews all 30 NBA teams in advance of the 2009-10 season.

The Atlanta Hawks are almost always identified by the always overused phrase, "upside." Well, that and passing on Chris Paul way back when they had a chance to become an elite franchise and egged by taking Marvin Williams (I'm sorry -- I'm not even a Hawks fan and I can't write about the Hawks without getting angry over that whole thing).

Now, that's kind of unfair to Williams, who posted this line last season: 13.9/6.3/1.3/0.9/0.6. Now, that's pretty daggum decent, but, yeah, it's not worthy of the No. 2 overall pick, especially when it could be, at least in some areas, be considered a regression from the year before.

Fortunately for Williams, the Hawks did the opposite and managed to improve from the team that provided a thrilling opening round, near upset bid of the Celtics two years ago to the team that shocked (relative to being the favorite in a 4-5 matchup) Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in the first round before getting s-canned by LeBron in the second round. Trust me, as negative as that ended up sounding, it was an improvement.

So, the Hawks went out and landed Jamal Crawford (a viable early contender for the Sixth Man Award), Jeff Teague (a steal at No. 19 overall; kid is ridiculously talented) and Joe Smith (who will just not go away). None of those guys will start, but they will be tremendous difference makers for the Hawks, who now have a ton of bench depth, including Zaza Pachulia to backup Al Horford.

Taking all of that increased depth and likely progression of talent by different members of the starting five -- Josh Smith, Horford and Williams all still have puh-lenty of room for growth -- means guaranteed improvement, right? Well, yes, kind of; see, the Hawks will be a better overall team. They will win more than 50 games for the first time in over a decade.

But will they find themselves anywhere other than the fourth seed again this year? Doesn't seem likely. The Cavs, Magic and Celtics are all going to be better teams, and provided that LeBron doesn't manage to regress with Shaquille O'Neal on board, the Hawks seem poised, yet again, to eek out a first-rounder against the Heat only to get overwhelmed by James and Co.

Is that a bad fate? Of course not -- and it's not necessarily guaranteed either. Rainn Wilson could accidentally dice Dwight Howard's hamstring, or Braylon Edwards could finally have a legit, non-Twitter-controlled freak out and take his revenge on LeBron. Or the Celtics could get old. Really, there are tons of possibilities for the Hawks to advance, but none of them are guaranteed quite like a middle seed and a five to 10 win bump in the final standings.

The good news, of course, is that because of the personnel assembled in Atlanta, getting to watch the Hawks is all but guaranteed to be more exciting than "middle seed in the East" actually sounds.

Last Season By the Numbers

Record: 47-35 under Mike Woodson. Finished 2nd in the Southeast Division, tied for 4th in the Eastern Conference. Eliminated by Cleveland (4-0) in the Conference Semi-Finals.

Offense: 98.1 points per 100 possessions, 19th in the NBA. 9th in shooting, 8th in turnover rate, 19th in offensive rebounding, 13th in free throw rate.

Defense: 96.5 points per 100 possession, 10th in the NBA. 11th in shooting defense, 14th in opponent turnover rate, 24th in defensive rebounding, 5th in opponent free throw rate.

Top Performers: Joe Johnson, the "franchise player" for the Hawks, led the team in scoring with 21.4 points per game while fantasy basketball porn star Josh Smith clocked in second at 15.6. Johnson also paced the Hawks' passing game with 5.8 assists, although "true point guard" Mike Bibby also averaged an even five dimes. Future dub-dub machine Al Horford cleaned up the glass to the tune of 9.3 boards per game. And obviously, J-Smoove led ATL with 1.6 blocks per game and 1.4 steals. <3 him.

All statistics via Basketball-Reference.com.

Player to Watch

FanHouse's Matt Moore and Tom Ziller preview one player to watch from each team. Here's a snippet of Moore's post on Josh Smith.

Forget the out-of-this-world athleticism. Forget the alley-oops (difficult, I know), forget the jumping out of the gym, and forget the slam dunks that make you think "You know, I wouldn't necessarily give a T-Rex the edge in a fight with this guy." Forget the worrisome shot selection and coach clashes and the immature behavior. Forget all that for a second and get used to a new set of ideals.

Josh Smith is turning into a pretty great basketball player. And he's only 23.

See Moore's full post on Josh Smith.

Offseason Tracker

IN: Jamal Crawford (trade), Jeff Teague (draft), Joe Smith (free agency), Sergey Gladyr (draft).

OUT: Acie Law (trade), Speedy Claxton (trade).

FanHouse Preview: Hawks originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will Joe Johnson's Future Be in Atlanta?

Matt Moore — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Bobcats, Hawks, Knicks, Timberwolves

Since arriving in Atlanta in 2005, Joe Johnson has been the resident star of the Hawks. Josh Smith draws the oohs and aahs with the highlight reel dunks and eye-popping stat lines, but Johnson has been the only player to really approach greatness, his finest moment coming in the 2007 playoffs, which we mentioned a few days ago.

It's long been expected that Johnson would sign an extension within the last few weeks, to lock him up with the Hawks for the forseeable future, without any question of him going elsewhere in the summer of 2010.

Turns out: not so much.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports today that Johnson has elected not to sign the extension the Hawks have offered and will become a free agent next summer. In doing so, Johnson has rejected a four-year, $60 million offer from the Hawks, which is kind of a lot of dough. You could make a lot of pizzas with that. You could feed all the Ninja Turtles pizza, including Michelangelo, almost a dozen times with that much dough. And Johnson feels he can do better.

Though Johnson has an impressive set of skills, being able to play as a shooting guard running point as well as filling time at the the three in a pinch, it's hard to argue with his age (he'll be 29 when he hits the market next year), minutes, and history that he's worth a max-max-max contract. He was 13th in scoring this year, and had an abysmal playoff run, especially when compared to the year before. It's hard to see teams lining up offers the same way they will for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and others in the '10 free agent class.

Still, even if the offers are dimmed for Johnson more than he seems, electing not to sign the extension may have been the best move. If he and his agent can generate a perception that the interest is out there, he can translate that into a bigger contract from the Hawks, which is probably a pretty likely scenario. Hawks blog Peachtree Hoops outlines the possibilities for Johnson and comes to much the same conclusion, though they're hoping Johnson signs for less money.

There are other options, though, if we whip out our crystal ball.

New York is obviously focusing all its intentions on LeBron. But in order to lure him to the Big Apple, they'll need someone else to show as his sidekick. You know, the player that the Cavs have failed to provide him with since he was drafted. Signing Johnson would pretty much make it so that as long as they have a breathing point guard (which is essentially all Chris Duhon is), and anything resembling a frontcourt that can just rebound (kind of like the Cavs have now), James will not only be facing the lure of the bright lights of the city, but a solid chance to compete with a talented and flexible roster IF Johnson signs.

If you're opting for the smaller markets, there's Charlotte or Minnesota. Both teams will have at least some cap space (depending on what the Bobcats do with Raja Bell and Raymond Felton), and signing Johnson would fill their most obvious need at small guard. Minnesota presents a young talented roster that figures to be on the rise over the next few years, with a glaring hole at two-guard. Minnesota also will have the money to throw at Johnson. Cold winters may not spark the interest of Arkansas' sixth or seventh favorite son, though.

There are other options if you put your imagination to the test (Boston, Houston, and Chicago to name a few), but the most likely scenario is still Atlanta. He's built a home and identity there, and if he can't drum up the interest elsewhere, making a home there could be his only option. It's a gamble Johnson has made, and this year represents his only chance to improve his odds.

Will Joe Johnson's Future Be in Atlanta? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For Starters: 5 Coaches Who Might Start Feeling the Heat

Matt Steinmetz — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, Hawks, Hornets, Nets, NBA Coaches

Who doesn't like a list, especially on a Monday morning when that's about all you can handle?

Training camps are opening, so here are five coaches likely to start feeling the heat if their teams don't get off to good starts.

Mike Dunleavy, L.A. Clippers: The Clippers head into the season with expectations, which might not be the best news for Dunleavy. He's got to figure out a way to reconfigure his relationship with Baron Davis so that the veteran point guard once again can thrive. If Dunleavy and Davis aren't on the same page, there's no hope in L.A.

Mike Woodson, Atlanta: Woodson is in a tricky spot. After advancing to the second round of the playoffs last season, the logical conclusion would seem to be that this is the year to take the next step. Only with Boston, Cleveland and Orlando, just how are the Hawks going to do that? It's going to be tough, and Woodson's the one who'll get blamed if Atlanta can't break through.

Lawrence Frank, New Jersey: Hard to believe, but Frank is starting his sixth full season with the Nets, and that's really the only reason we're putting him here. It's more a numbers thing, a percentages play, if you know what I mean. In the ruthless world of hiring and firing NBA coaches, Frank seems due.

Byron Scott, New Orleans: The Hornets took a step back last season, winning fewer games than the season before and getting thumped in the first round of the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets. It's clear New Orleans believes the acquisition of Emeka Okafor will put them back with the elite teams in the Western Conference. You know what that means for Byron Scott if it doesn't.

Jim O'Brien, Indiana: Let's face it, O'Brien's two years in Indiana have been pretty nondescript, and it's not like this season is setting up to be anything special. The Pacers are coming off back-to-back 36-win seasons, and they're banged up to start 2009-10. It's a little bit of a double-whammy for the Pacers, who aren't likely to be good or entertaining. Yes, O'Brien signed an extension last week but that's only going to make the decision that much more awkward if things go South.

More Steinmetz on Twitter: @matt_steinmetz

For Starters: 5 Coaches Who Might Start Feeling the Heat originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Szczerbiak Top Free Agent Left?

Chris Tomasson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:50:00 EST

Filed under: Bobcats, Cavaliers, Hawks, Nuggets, FanHouse Exclusive

Wally Szczerbiak would appear to be the top NBA free agent left standing. Then again, maybe not.

With the Denver Nuggets having lost out on free-agent shooting guard Flip Murray to the Charlotte Bobcats on Thursday, sources told FanHouse the Nuggets are now looking strongly at small forward Ime Udoka.

Meanwhile, Szczerbiak, who had been linked earlier in the summer to Denver, is still looking for a job.

"Yes, the economy has affected the market, there's no question about it,'' Szczerbiak said in an interview Thursday with FanHouse. "I just have to take my time.''

Murray agreed to a one-year contract with Charlotte for the biannual exception of $1.99 million. That left the Nuggets, who are looking to sign a wing player and waited several weeks to see if Murray would accept their $1.1 million minimum contract offer, suddenly having to look for somebody else.

Sources said Thursday night the Nuggets are intrigued by Udoka, who played the past two seasons for San Antonio. While Udoka has a modest career scoring average of 6.0 over five seasons, he is known for being a strong defender.

Szczerbiak said earlier Thursday that Denver remains an option for him. Before it was learned about Charlotte's agreement with Murray and the Nuggets' interest in Udoka, he was asked if believed he was Denver's backup choice behind Murray.

"I really have no idea at all,'' said Szczerbiak, who averaged 7.0 points last season with Cleveland and has a career average of 14.1.

The Nuggets, allowed to start early because they are one of the NBA teams heading overseas, begin training camp Saturday. Most teams start Tuesday.

Szczerbiak, who is believed to want more than a minimum deal worth $1.3 million, said he has received a guaranteed offer from a team. But he would not reveal the team or the amount of the offer.

Sczcerbiak was asked if he is willing to miss the start of training camp while waiting for the right situation.

"We'll see,'' he said. "I'll have to weigh everything.''

Prior to committing to the Bobcats, Murray, who averaged 12.2 points last season with Atlanta, was the NBA's top remaining free agent. The Nuggets, who are over the luxury-tax threshold, would not offer Murray the biannual exception, which is why he bolted to the Bobcats.

The Nuggets have been searching for a wing player since the early-August departure of small forward Linas Kleiza to Greece. The Nuggets believe J.R. Smith could move into the role of being Carmelo Anthony's backup at small forward in addition to playing shooting guard. That's why they had targeted Murray, who can slide to point guard but not to small forward.

The Nuggets had remained steadfast in their wait for Murray. They also had looked in free agency at wing players Desmond Mason, Keith Bogans and Rashad McCants. But all are now off the market, with the Houston Chronicle reporting Thursday that McCants will sign a non-guaranteed contract with Houston.

Showing how tough the market is, Mason also settled for non-guaranteed money with Sacramento. Bogans, as first reported by FanHouse, was able to a get a guaranteed minimum deal from San Antonio.

The Nuggets did trade Wednesday for journeyman small forward James White, who has a non-guaranteed contract, mainly to get a free look at him in training camp. While the Nuggets are still seeking to bring in a perimeter player, it's not completely out of the question White could end up being their guy if other options don't pan out and White is a surprise in camp

For now, though, the Nuggets are looking at Udoka, 32. Denver only would be offerering a one-year minimum contract worth $959,111.

There's not a lot left in the NBA when it comes to free agency. Excluding Udoka, Szczerbiak and restricted free agents David Lee and Nate Robinson, who are ready to re-sign with New York, players remaining include guards Jerry Stackhouse, Stephon Marbury, Joey Graham, Bobby Jackson, Brevin Knight, Jacque Vaughn, Tyronn Lue, Juan Dixon, Chucky Atkins and Jamaal Tinsley; forwards Stromile Swift, Gerald Green and Donyell Marshall; and centers Melvin Ely, Chris Mihm, Robert Swift, Lorenzen Wright and Jake Voskuhl.

Few, if any, of the remaining players will be able to get guaranteed money. But Jackson is hopeful, having already turned down invitations to training camp by Detroit and Miami because neither team would give him guaranteed money.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.

Is Szczerbiak Top Free Agent Left? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Few Jobs Remain Open ... but Ruffin, Bowen Hope the Thunder Has One

Chris Tomasson — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, Hawks, Hornets, Magic, Pistons, Thunder

The word is out in the NBA. Oklahoma City might be hiring.

In this tough economy, any job for a player these days is a good one. And there is talk the Thunder, with 14 guaranteed contracts and no worries about the luxury tax, might be a rare team that has no problem with a 15-man roster.

That's why veteran forwards Michael Ruffin and Ryan Bowen will be heading to the Thunder camp on nonguaranteed contracts, looking to earn a job.

"I think I've got a chance," said Ruffin, a nine-year veteran who played last season with Portland.

But also thinking that way is Bowen, a nine-year man who played last season with New Orleans.

"They tell us they have a spot," Bowen's agent, Guy Zucker, said of Thunder officials. "And they're looking for somebody similar to Ryan. So we think we have a good chance. They've got a young team, and they're looking for [a good veteran influence]. Ryan is incredibly professional, he's unbelievably smart, he's experienced, and he has no ego."

Some would say Ruffin is worthy of a similar description. Let the battle begin for the 15th spot.

With teams that are going overseas in October beginning training camp Saturday and others starting next Tuesday, teams are filling out their training camp rosters. And not too many are handing out fully guaranteed contracts. Consider that Desmond Mason couldn't even get a guaranteed deal last week from Sacramento.

Among other free agents going to camp trying to earn jobs, guard Morris Almond is heading to Orlando, guard Kareem Rush to the Los Angeles Clippers, center Earl Barron to New Orleans, forward Maceo Baston to Detroit, center Courtney Sims to Atlanta and guard Mario West, a restricted free agent, is returning to the Hawks.

"It's been a tough summer," Ruffin said of players looking for teams. "With the economy, teams are going to keep one or two less players than before. There's less jobs."

But the Thunder might be hiring. Candidates are lining up outside.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.

Few Jobs Remain Open ... but Ruffin, Bowen Hope the Thunder Has One originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jerry Stackhouse Impressing in Atlanta

Tom Ziller — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: Hawks, NBA Rumors

As I try to mention every once in a while, Sekou Smith of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is one of the best beat writers in the biz. I haven't been within 3,000 miles of Georgia in a while, yet reading Smith always leaves me feeling like I've been in the Hawks practice facility. Like the great sportswriters, he puts you there, in the games, in the practices.

Right now he's writing about pre-camp practices, and the showstopper is ... Jerry Stackhouse, a free agent cut loose in the Hedo Turkoglu-Shawn Marion swap. Stack turns 35 during the first week of the season, and he effectively sat out last season in Dallas (not by choice). He's just working out with the Hawks -- there have been no rumors of his addition to the roster.

Smith and the Hawks players he's talked to hope that stance changes, because they think Stackhouse can help Atlanta this season.

The last season in which Stackhouse played major minutes -- 2007-08 -- he had fallen off quite a bit, shooting 44% on two-pointers and 32% on threes. Since Stack is a scorer primarily, his efficiency needs to be decent to justify minutes. And in Dallas, his efficiency was no longer decent. Unless that's changed, Stackhouse probably doesn't merit NBA minutes.

But there is certainly something to be said for a replacement level veteran at the end of the bench for playoff teams. (NOT REBUILDING TEAMS, HOWEVER.) The Injury Bug is relentless, and while Atlanta has improved its guard depth with the addition of Jamal Crawford (replacing the forgettable Acie Law) and Jeff Teague (who could be a top-5 rookie, seriously) you can't have enough depth. The question is whether Stackhouse would be an upgrade over, say, a D-League level guard, or another (perhaps younger) free agent.

That's a choice each team (including the Hawks) must make on its own. But it's good to hear the discouraging way Stackhouse's Mavericks career ended hasn't prevented the ol' Tar Heel from getting his name back into the conversation.

Jerry Stackhouse Impressing in Atlanta originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: Joe Johnson Scores 35 in Fleeting Moment of Relevance

Matt Moore — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hawks

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Tuesday, there are 35 days remaining.

Joe Johnson begins his eighth season in the NBA this year. During that time, he's barely scratched the radar of the average NBA fan. His biggest anecdote prior to 2007 was the fact that he was injured during a critical Phoenix playoff run. When he went to Atlanta, it was like he dropped off the face of the planet.

But in the spring of 2008, if only for a moment in the public's eye, Joe Johnson made himself a known man.

The Hawks were expected to be less than practice fodder for the league leading Celtics. They were demolished in Boston, heading home down 0-2. And then something bizarre started happening: the Hawks fought back. Johnson was the catalyst. They somehow managed to win Game 3, sitting up the pivotal Game 4.

Going into the fourth, Johnson had 15 points, not bad, but the Hawks still found themselves down 10. He exploded for 20 points in the fourth quarter. The way he did it, though, was personal domination in a way we've only seen from the truly greats. Jordan. Kobe. LeBron. Wade. Three pointers. Sliding in-between two defenders on the drive for scoop shots. And one immortal ankle breaking.

It takes something incredible to make history even when you lose -- in the first round, by quite a lot, to the team that ends up winning the championship. But the way Johnson played that night is representative of why we watch the games, why we we gape in awe at the ability of players to seemingly capture the fire of the Gods themselves. And if that seems over the top and ridiculous? Well, I'd ask you take a look at the evidence:

Tip-Off Timer: Joe Johnson Scores 35 in Fleeting Moment of Relevance originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: Pistol Pete Lived to 40, Died As Greatest Showman

Tim Povtak — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hawks, Jazz, NBA Videos

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Thursday, there are 40 days remaining.

He was the greatest showman in the history of basketball, the standard by which every flashy-looking hot shot in the last 40 years could be measured against. And not a one has measured up -- never really come close.

Pistol Pete Maravich stood alone in his glory, a virtuoso in a team sport, an artist who made the game so compelling, so captivating, so incredibly wonderful that you never turned away when he had the ball.

Maravich never won big in basketball, but he never stopped believing in the beauty of the game.

He died too young at age 40, yet doctors marveled afterward that he lived as long as he did, leaving basketball a much-more special game by the way he played it. And not many living stars can say that today.

Maravich died in 1988 of an undetected heart defect, moments after playing a casual game of pick-up basketball with friends and acquaintances at a church gymnasium. He was born without one of the two artery systems that supply the heart with blood, an affliction that often kills before a boy becomes a man.

Thanks goodness, he lived long enough to make us all smile.

Maravich was an icon, a hero to a generation of baby boomers, a white star in a black sport. If you were a suburban kid playing basketball in the late '60s or early '70s, you wanted to be just like Pistol Pete. A whole generation of young boys started wearing droopy socks and shaggy locks because Pistol Pete always did.

He remains the most prolific scorer in college basketball history, averaging 43.8, 44.2 and 44.5 points per game in his three varsity seasons (1967-70) at LSU. Every basket he scored was a spectacle. Many were long range, yet this was before the 3-point shot.

He was a magician, a wizard with the ball, keeping it on a string. His between-the-legs, behind-the-back, around-the-neck passes, his circus shots from every possible angle, could electrify a crowd. He never saw a shot he didn't like, and he never, ever hesitated to take one.

He came into the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks, given the richest contract in league history. Throughout his basketball career, he never had the supporting cast that could win, so he carried the burden himself, knowing he was expected to entertain as well as score prolifically .

And he did. He spent 10 years in the league, played in five All-Star Games and averaged 24.2 points. Too often, though, he was injured. His wispy body couldn't withstand the pounding. Only once, his rookie season, did he manage to play 80 games.

He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987 -- less than a year before he collapsed and died. It was an honor well deserved.

Tip-Off Timer: Pistol Pete Lived to 40, Died As Greatest Showman originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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