By Bud L. Ellis
Granted, it’s just five games. But the Atlanta Hawks are more than pleased with the start to their 2010-11 season.
Atlanta improved to 5-0 and remained the only unbeaten team in the Eastern Conference Wednesday, riding a strong 18-4 run late in the contest to pull away from Detroit 94-85 at Philips Arena. ( Read More…)
Friday, November 5, 2010 at 4:40 am by bud
Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks news, Atlanta Hawks schedule, Atlanta Hawks tickets, Detroit Pistons, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Los Angeles Lakers, Marvin Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves, National Basketball Association, New Orleans Hornets, Philips Arena, Zaza Pachulia
By Bud L. Ellis
Dropping three games in their past four outings has moved the Atlanta Hawks out of the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
And the weather isn’t the only thing that’s cooled in the waning days of November and the opening hours of December.
The Hawks have scored 88 points or fewer in all three of their losses during their mini-skid that’s dropped Atlanta into a tie with Cleveland for third place in the Eastern Conference.
Prior to the recent hiccup, the Hawks ran off seven consecutive victories, scoring 97 points or more in each victory and topping 100 five times.
So, why the sudden struggles on offense? Start with a lack of patience.
The Hawks have been impatient on offense, which is surprising considering how fluid the Atlanta offense has been through most of the first 17 games.
In one of the losses, the Thanksgiving night defeat to Orlando, the Hawks faced one of the top defensive teams in the league. But in losses to New Orleans and Detroit (who combined have one more victory – 13 – than the Hawks), Atlanta simply didn’t find their rhythm on offense.
No doubt when the Hawks return to the floor to face Chicago on Wednesday, they will seek a return to the patient, balanced offensive attack that sparked their rise to the top of the East.
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Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 8:33 pm by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, National Basketball Association, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic
By Bud L. Ellis
For some rookies, the middle days of October are when their NBA dreams expire.
For others — like Jeff Teague — it’s when those fantasties take flight for real.
Teague, the Atlanta Hawks‘ first-round draft pick this summer, continued to show why the organization thought so highly of the former Wake Forest star on Monday, leading Atlanta with 17 points in a 107-90 preseason victory over Charlotte at Philips Arena.
Teague needed just 29 minutes to score his 17, dish out seven assists, and continue to make an impression on his new teammates and coaching staff.
“It was a fun game,” Teague told Hawks.com. “I think I’m learning on the fly, learning quickly, trying to understand the game.”
That understanding is coming quickly for a player who gives Atlanta a young point guard to spell Mike Bibby this season. Teague leads the Hawks in scoring through three preseason games at 16.0 per contest
Coming off a loss Sunday night in Detroit, the Hawks showed plenty of bounce. Atlanta led by as many as 17 in the first half, hitting 53 percent from the floor in building an early eight-point advantage.
“We did a lot of good things tonight, which we didn’t do (Sunday) night in Detroit,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson told Hawks.com. “So it’s nice to see us bounce back.’
Joe Johnson, Zaza Pachulia and Juan Dixon each scored 14. Josh Smith and Marvin Williams added 11 for Atlanta, who plays Wednesday at Memphis.
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Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 5:43 am by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Detroit Pistons, Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Juan Dixon, Marvin Williams, Memphis Grizzles, Mike Bibby, Mike Woodson, National Basketball Association, Philips Arena, Wake Forest, Zaza Pachulia
By Bud L. Ellis
With three games in the next four nights, the Atlanta Hawks ramp up preparations for the 2009-10 season.
It’s likely by the time this three-game stretch ends Wednesday, there will be a few players who will be looking for another team.
Cuts are likely to come down at some point during this stretch, which begins at 6 p.m. today at Detroit. Atlanta returns home Monday to play host to Charlotte at 7 p.m., then travels to Memphis at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
As the Hawks’ staff evaluates the guys on the fringe, the more-established veteran players and the top newcomers brought onto the roster in the offseason will continue to work on meshing together as a team.
That’s what preseason is all about. Guys like Jamal Crawford, Jason Collins and Joe Smith are seeking the chemistry and where they fit into a team coming off back-to-back playoff appearances. Other guys, like Mario West, Othello Hunter and Courtney Sims, are hoping they can do enough during the next three weeks to land on the opening-night roster.
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Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 9:35 am by bud
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Courtney Sims, Detroit Pistons, Jamal Crawford, Jason Collins, Joe Smith, Mario West, Memphis Grizzlies, National Basketball Association, Othello Hunter
