The NBA season is only two weeks old and I'm already confused. Black is white, cats are sleeping with dogs, up is down and with apologies to Seinfeld, Bizzaro Superman rules the day. The Atlanta Hawks are 6-1 and the San Antonio Spurs are 2-5. What the...
Okay, I can see the LA Lakers rolling out to a 7-0 record as they are truly an elite team with the best bench in the league. They've got Andrew Bynum back in the line-up to anchor one of the best - new and improved - defenses in the league (if you want a great technical rundown of the Lakers new emphasis on D, check out Kevin Pelton's analysis over at Basketball Prospectus). The Lakers still have the best cleaner this side of Mr. Wolf, Kobe Bryant, to stick daggers into the hearts of their opponents. They still have one of the best coaching staffs in the league even with a beard boycotting Phil Jackson. And perhaps most importantly of all, the Lakers still appear to be smarting from their Finals beatdown last spring at the hands of the Boston Celtics. Anger and talent make for a perfect storm in team sports.
At the other end of the spectrum, usually, are the Atlanta Hawks. Seemingly cursed from the day they moved to the Peach city from St. Louis, the Hawks have had few bright moments in their history. Yes, I remember Pistol Pete. Yes, I remember Dominique. Yes, I remember some very strong Mike Fratello and Lenny Wilkins' teams that made the rounds in the playoffs. But on the whole, the Hawks have been less than inspiring on the floor and less than successful with the front running fans of the new south. 'Cause remember, hoops ain't football and it sure enough ain't spring football.
This Atlanta Hawks team appears to be different. Although they barely squeaked into the playoffs last season with a sub .500 record of 37-45 , the young Hawks played hard and with confidence, taking the eventual champion Celtics to seven games. They return pretty much the same line-up (minus Mr. European Vacation, Josh Childress) with one more year of experience. Veteran Mike Bibby is in from the jump with a full training camp and a better understanding of his role. In Joe Johnson, the Hawks have a legitimate star who can quietly put up big numbers - he can finish at the rim, score off of the bounce, from midrange and is effective enough from 3 point land (38% last year) that you have to respect him 23 feet from the basket.
Combine the smooth game of Johnson with the ever improving inside game of Al "Tito" Horford and the scary athleticism of Josh Smith (presently injured) and what do you get? A 6-1 start and a too legit up and coming franchise. Again. At least on the floor. Now, if only Bizarro Superman can spin the NBA axis back in the right direction. Who would be the exact opposite of Dwight Howard anyway?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment