Not much happening. Which leads us to a Sportswriting Etiquette 101 lesson: It is bad form for basketball writers who are covering a tight game to say: “Looks like it’ll go to overtime.” Same thing with baseball writers, who are forbidden in press boxes from mentioning the words “extra innings” prior to the start of the 10th. It s considered a jinx. OK, not forbidden. But it is frowned upon, heavily. Sportwriters like to go home to their families, especially those families with
Tweet of the Night: Players react to Mike Scott’s monster jam over Ian Mahinmi
Late in the third quarter in Game 6 of the Pacers-Hawks series, Mike Scott – known at this point for his shooting – cut straight to the basket and went right at Ian Mahinmi, who was right under the basket to meet Scott in the air. To everyone’s surprise, Scott got the best of that exchange: Naturally, players around the league saw the play and reacted accordingly: [Read more…]
From Feverish To Faint: The Atlanta Hawks Home Playoff Experience
On Thursday night, Philips Arena opened its doors for the Atlanta Hawks first home playoff game of the 2014 NBA postseason. After having stolen home court advantage, the air in Atlanta was heavy, of course it was humid—welcome to Georgia, but it was heavy with hope and expectation. All week long, ever since the Hawks 101-93 Game 1 road victory in Indiana on Saturday, the talk among locals has been upset. Not just a game; the series. The team’s confidence only served to
Sixth Man Rankings: Taj Gibson pairing strong offense with elite defense
Let’s play a quick game of “Name That Big Man”: Since the All Star Break (nine games), Player A, an All-Star, has averaged 19.0 points on 51.6% shooting in 33 minutes per game. Since the All Star Break (nine games), Player B, not an All-Star, has averaged 16.3 points on 51.3% shooting in 27 minutes per game. [Read more…]
Sixth Man Rankings: Mike Scott of Hawks Has Become a Breakout Stretch Forward
When forward Mike Scott came to Atlanta Hawks training camp in 2012, he was labeled by then-coach Larry Drew as “a solid pick-and-roll option.” In other words, although Scott proved himself to be a legitimate offensive weapon in his five years at Virginia (medical redshirt in 2010), no one really expected him to develop into more than a decent midrange shooter at the next level. [Read more…]
Tweet of the Day: Players React to Selection of All-Star Reserves
Finally. After much anticipation, and to some chagrin, the NBA’s coaches have submitted their list of reserves for the forthcoming 2014 NBA All-Star game in New Orleans, LA. Many of the All-Star reserve selections are expected, though there were a few selections (and snubs) that were unconventional, though deserving. In the Eastern Conference, Chris Bosh [Miami Heat], DeMar DeRozan [Toronto Raptors], Paul Millsap [Atlanta Hawks], John Wall [Washington Wizards], Joe Johnson [Brooklyn Nets], Roy Hibbert [Indiana Pacers] and Joakim Noah [Chicago Bulls] all join
Tweet of the Day: Atlanta Hawks Fall Victim to Snowpocalypse 2014
Atlanta motorists deadlocked on I-285 during Snowpocalypse 2014. The city of Atlanta has fallen prey to Snowpocalypse 2014—also known as Snowmageddon. Tuesday afternoon, the clouds opened up and—combined with temperatures in the teens—spewed forth a few inches worth of snow. Not much, but enough to cause chaos among Atlanta natives. Though the city has snow plows and salt trucks, none were put to use prior to the snow storm, yielding slick, icy roads incapable of supporting normal traffic,
Gambling on the Eastern Conference: Long odds on everyone not named Pacers or Heat
Brain-twister for you today, folks. Go back to the start of the 2005-06 regular season, and try to name a superstar player who has represented the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. Your answer cannot include LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo or Ray Allen. It’s OK. Keep thinking … [Read more…]