Thoughts From a Depressed Hawks Fan

Fri, May 8, 2009

I’m writing this now during halftime of the Hawks-Cavs Game 2 in Cleveland. Look I realize Horford and Marvin are out. I realize that we are playing the number one team in the league with the MVP and the Coach of the Year. But still. Damn, I haven’t been this depressed in a long time. To be fair, I knew this kind of night was in store for us. An hour or so before game time I read the headline on AJC that said Marvin and Al were gonna be out. Right after that, Craig and I went to our favorite Athens, GA restaurant - Uncle Otto’s - where we were talking to the owner about him opening his new restaurant when he informed us that he would be closing down the downtown one. My favorite lunch spot in Athens will now be gone next year, Al and Marvin weren’t gonna play, and judging by the progression of bad events I was worried about what was going to be in store for this game. (In addition to this I have an exam tomorrow in Trusts and Estates that is going to rock my world, am I studying? No, I am watching this debacle take place and then writing about it to you guys).

So here you go. These are going to be my random thoughts regarding the team in no coherent order. No relation to one another. Just my thoughts on this game and this season and the state of the Hawks from one Hawks fan to everyone out there.

I’m ok with the Hawks laying an egg against the Cavs in the regular season. In fact, I am used to this sort of thing happening during the course of 82 games when the Hawks have an incompetent coaching staff and young players, but in the PLAYOFFS. I mean it is the PLAYOFFS. How the hell can you pull this stinker in the playoffs. It is almost, nay exactly, like the Hawks got news of no Horford and no Marvin and said: “ah well, we had a small chance but now we have none, might as well give up.” The coaching staff is not immune from this thought either. In fact, where are the adjustments? Why are the same guys in who are not getting the job done? What the hell?
Where is Acie Law? This has gotten ridiculous. I have never been so angry at the fact that a player is getting absolutely no PT. Acie Law was a Wooden Award candidate in his final year in college. That award is given to the best player in the NCAA, where he averaged 18.1 ppg, 3.3 rbg and 5.0 apg. Are you kidding me? Get this too: During Big 12 regular-season play, Law has averaged 6.3 points in the
last four minutes of games, making 75 percent from the field, 83
percent from 3-point range and 83 percent from the free throw line. How do these numbers not translate over into NBA production? Please someone explain to me how somebody with these stats can not carve out at least a niche of doing ANYTHING in the NBA?
Someone explain to me how the Hawks are 7-8 in the playoffs, 6-1 at home and 1-7 on the road. In those losses the Hawks are losing by an average margin of 21.375 ppg. Really? A margin of defeat of over 20 ppg in the playoffs. That is proof of an inferior team getting beat by better competition found in the playoffs. As I am writing this the Hawks are currently down 26 to the Cavs with a little under 9 mins to play in the 3rd. The Hawks do not just lose in the playoffs, they get embarrassed. And yet, it seems the only ones embarrassed by these performances are us the fans. No one on the coaching staff seems to care and sure as shit no one on the team does either. The Hawks are now down 29 points as a technical foul is just called on Josh Smith so this is going to be even uglier. (After seeing a replay of the tech on Josh he actually probably had a point there)
If I have to see another Cav grab an offensive rebound this article is not going to get written as my laptop is going to be permanently implanted in the TV.
I’m not gonna bash Josh here but get this - Joe where have you gone. One of my friends mentioned this to me the other day and I sort of shrugged it off but how come Joe only seems to show emotion when we are up big and as soon as we are down he loses attitude and sort of gives up? Joe, this young team looks to you for leadership and sorry to say this sort of attitude does not carry over well.
Sure Josh is immature - but who is going to tell him to grow up? Name the leader on the Hawks team and if you say Horford you might want to rethink that because as much as people have been saying that, I personally feel as if I have yet to see it. As much as I hate Garnett, watch him on the sideline as he is injured, that is a leader. What is Horford doing? Sitting, enjoying the game with Marvin, if you can call sitting courtside for these stinkers enjoying.
No defense. None whatsoever. MIke Brown and Mike Woodson are known as defensive minded coaches, after watching these games who do you think has drawn up a better defensive gameplan? It’s a no-brainer.
Do the Hawks even like each other? After a player gets knocked down hardly any other player runs over to pick them up. Watch the other teams and see how many players go help the player on his back get up to his feet. Which leads me to the other point that these Hawks do not even look as if they enjoy sitting on the bench with each other.
The coaching staff sucks. I am not writing about this anymore, if you are reading this, you know this already. I’m about fed up with having to defend Woodson when needed, but this is awful. It is easy to blame the coach when the season goes bad (as evidence by what like 6 teams this year) but please someone come in and hire Woodson away from us, or Sund do something to appease all of us and get rid of him.
Which brings me to my last point which might make a lot of you very depressed. Even if the Hawks fire Woodson, will that make that much of a difference? Do the Hawks become a top 2 team in the East if they fire Woodson? I hate to say this, but the team has not just plateaued, no they have peaked and they are about to go on the downswing. Try to enjoy these playoffs if you can, and that means enjoying constant blowouts, because this team is not getting any better.
All that goodwill the team built last year during the playoffs, the excitement that surrounded the team, even some that came with the defeat of the Heat, might be evaporating as we speak.
If the Hawks come back and win either game 3 or 4, it is not going to change my opinion regarding these prior statements. This team does not care, and truth be told I am starting to wonder why should I. I started to write this blog due to how much I liked the Hawks, how much I enjoyed rooting for them, how much I enjoyed watching them, how much I enjoyed cheering on the players of the team and most importantly how much I enjoy the game of basketball. It would be nice to see the same enjoyment displayed just once from this team as well.

(As I finish writing this, LBJ nails a 3 to go up by 30, Joe airballs a too deep of a 3, and then LBJ alley-oop and now my television has been turned off. Looks like I will be getting some studying in after all.)

It is only the end of three quarters and the Hawks are down 30, here is your picture