(This is another in a series of 30 guest columns that will run in October, when optimism reigns supreme across the NBA. The theme will be “Five Reasons to Feel Positive About … ” We encourage you to follow the authors on Twitter and visit their sites. – CS) The Atlanta Hawks spent the last seven years developing a contender in the Eastern Conference and the last five cultivating a core of Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford and Marvin Williams. Dubbed
This is probably going to be our last look at Boston’s Big Three — unless, of course, they win the championship and Wyc Grousbeck is forced to pony up a fortune in luxury taxes to keep the team together for one more year. Oh, and he needs to find a center, too. The Hawks get no respect, but that is to be expected when they come up with their annual spring flameout. Judging from the predictions below, a majority still
In a stacked 13-game appetizer for tomorrow’s Super Bowl, two playoff-bound teams look to bounce back from uninspired losses when the Philadelphia 76ers visit the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. On Friday, the Sixers (16-7) fell to Miami for the second time this season, 99-79. Philadelphia proved it can hang with big boys by beating contenders Orlando and Chicago earlier this week, but Thaddeus Young’s 18 points weren’t enough to keep up with the Heat in the Sixers’ third straight tough game. After a
The unrelenting schedule is about to backpick the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks have to be feeling pretty good about themselves after Monday’s road win over previously unbeaten Miami. That is, if they had time to feel good about themselves. After the win, the Hawks boarded a plane for a three-hour flight to Chicago. They probably got into their hotel around 3 a.m. local time, grabbed some Z’s and awoke for a morning walkthrough before returning their hotel rooms, likely to nap until the
MIAMI – The zone defense is killing the Miami Heat. OK, it’s not really killing the Heat. After all, they won 58 games and went to the NBA Finals last year, and so far they’re 5-1 this year. But you know what I mean. The zone is hurting the Heat badly when applied correctly by good teams. Dallas did it in the Finals last year. Boston did it this year. And on Monday, Atlanta did it well enough to defeat the Heat,