Pinpoint Landing By The Hawks

by Moritz Wollert

As posted on http://mos-basketball.blogspot.com

I guess you can call the Atlanta Hawks' offseason "quiet". No major free agent signings, no big trades... just new team colors. Wow, the start into a glorious future. Yeah, right. Let's not forget we are talking about the Hawks here and just some new jersey with slightly different colors won't do a thing for this franchise which hasn't seen the postseason in eight years now.

[1] Well, the jerseys won't be the reason for any change of culture in Atlanta but maybe their two first round picks have a word to say about that. In the 2007 NBA Draft the Hawks selected power forward Al Horford from the University of Florida and with the 11th pick they added point guard Acie Law from Texas A&M.

Wait, wasn't this supposed to be the Oden and Durant draft and everybody else was unnecessary to remember?!? If we believe ESPN we might think that way. But even witth these two clearly at the top of every draft board, there were tons of players who are looking at a bright future in the NBA and who can help a team turn around it's fortunes.

[2] Horford and Law clearly belong in that group and as if it was fate, they are just the type of players the Hawks needed. Uhhm, let's see, the Hawks could need Kobe Bryant since they had the worst offense in the league last season. They could use Dirk Nowitzki since they also had the worst three point percentage in the entire NBA. Looking at the Hawks' stats and their record last year you have to get the impression that this team needs either a superstar or a miracle to turn around their 30 win team. How are two rookies supposed to help a franchise which has struggled for years now to even scratch NBA credibility?!

First of all we have to realize that the Hawks aren't as bad as their record looks. They got a young, promising core with Joe Johnson as the centerpiece. The 26 year old has become one of the league's most prolific scorers, averaging 25 points per contest last season. Johnson missed 25 games due to injury which is tough to take for a team struggling to find an identity. The two starting forwards, Marvin Williams and Josh Smith (both 21 years old), are as raw as it gets. Fundamentals?!? What's that?!

[3] But they are improving and certainly have a nice future in front of them if they keep working hard. To bad that in the swamp of the Atlanta Losing Culture it isn't really the obvious thing to do for a young guy, especially Josh Smith who had numerous run ins with the coaches, to turn his fortunes around. Things like that - team spirit, hard work, fundamentals, toughness - are all key aspects in the building of a winning team. The Hawks have problems to find these aspects as their talented young players don't have the proper upbringing in terms of basketball education. Joe Johnson grew up in the running style of the Arizona desert (he played with the Suns before which of course isn't really negative), Williams only played one year at the University of North Carolina and Smith even came directly from high school.

It shows in their games and in their maturity.

But this year's draft was a difference in the growing up of the problem child named Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks didn't go for the player with the most potential or dreamed about a superstar in the making (they already found one in Joe Johnson). They didn't screw up anything in being seduced by highlights and bad advices. This season they picked two players that are exactly what they need the most: Experienced winners!

[4] Horford was a member of the back to back Florida Gators championship teams. Saying he knows what it takes to win basketball games, would be an understatement. He was an emotional leader on that team, too, and not some kind of compliementary player. Law started 106 games for the Aggies and was a First Team All American in his senior year. In his last three seasons he led the team to a 70-26 record. Pretty good, pretty good... and he has also managed to become one of college basketball's most clutch players with numerous big shots and great performances.

Fact is these two personalities might not become superstars in the league but they are classy, high character basketball players who know about the nuances of the game. They are fundamentally sound and they are experienced. They can help in areas where the Hawks need a lot of help. And as if this wasn't enough, both play positions that haven't really been fixed by the Hawks in recent years... unless you want to call starting Speedy Claxton (no disresepct to Speedy) your "plan for the future"...

We can only congratulate the Hawks, coach Mike Woodson and GM Billy Knight (sounds funny doesn't it?!) to their draft success this year. Atlanta will have a lot of fun with their new players who fit right in with the other youngsters on the rosters. Now they can develop and grow up together. Law and Horford might tell a few stories at the breakfast table how it is to win some games and the other guys better listen...

CraigbwolfSoccer Kid

814 days ago

Score 0

Law and Horford were nice additions, but I still think they should have made a big trade. They at least need to move Shelden and Marvin Williams to acquire a veteran scorer.

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