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| Tuesday, September 4 Users: Looking like a 40-win season ESPN.com |
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Most times when we ask the users for comments about a team we get all kinds of different responses. But when discussing the Atlanta Hawks, there was certainly a theme. Fifty wins? Thirty wins? It's a big difference, and the consensus seemed to be that after two horrible seasons, these Hawks, with their revamped lineup, were on the way to about 40 wins.
In discussing the Summer Spotlight on the Hawks, we posed this question: Can this team go from 25 wins to as many as 50? Here are some of your responses:
Your Hawks Feedback I think that the Hawks can be good this season, but not great. I think their biggest problem will be finding leadership. Abdur-Rahim was always blasted for not being a leader in Atlanta, and Theo Ratliff always played second fiddle to Allen Iverson. I think another key for this team is having Nazr Mohammed and DerMarr Johnson develop into starters. I see the team winning 45 this year and being a contender in three years if Johnson turns into a franchise player.
Michael Nachbar
The Hawks are going to win big this year. I think they really match up well against the other teams in the East. They have a huge front court, and good scorers on the perimeter. I love the way Terry can shoot off the dribble. He won't put up Iverson-like numbers, but I think he is much more reliable on both of the floor. Abdur-Rahim is only 25 but will prove to be a stabilizing force on this young team. I think 50 wins is a lock this year.
Dovid Spector
Pete Babcock deserves credit for improving a terrible team, but 50 wins? No way! Even with the Orlando and, believe it or not, LA Clipper bandwagons running on overdrive these days, the Hawks look to me like the most overrated team in the NBA. For all their recent moves, they don't yet have even an eighth-playoff-seed-in-the-East-caliber roster, let alone one capable of 50 wins. The Hawks have a nice nucleus in Reef, Ratliff, and Jason Terry, but plenty of other Eastern teams have better. Abdur-Rahim looks like the best of the Hawks, but he has a lot to prove before you can call him a franchise player on the level of Iverson, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Reggie Miller, or even Latrell Sprewell. Ratliff is good, but hardly an elite center. Terry is a promising young player, but look at some of the other two-guards in the East: Iverson, McGrady, Carter, Ray Allen, Miller, Paul Pierce, Eddie Jones; can you really pick Jason Terry over ANY of those guys? As for the rest of the Atlanta roster, it's a wee bit sparse in talent, wouldn't you say? There's Kukoc, who has trouble holding up for a full season and is a defensive liability even at his best. There's a 32-year-old journeyman starting at point guard. On the bench there is maybe one decent player -- Mohammed, although even he isn't really a sure thing. Other than Mohammed, who is there? Jacque Vaughn? Dion Glover? DerMarr Johnson? The Pacers' second-unit guys are licking their chops!
John Brenner
Of course. Anyone who has followed Lon Kruger's career knows he took the Gators to the Final Four with minimal talent (only Andrew Declercq even made the NBA) but maximum efficiency. The key to his success is always solid guard play, crisp passing, and few turnovers. The Hawks displayed this late last season, and have upgraded even further by adding a point guard who can cover any guard in the league (Emanual Davis) and arguably the best passing small forward in the league. In fact, the Hawks success began when Kruger began running the O through Toni Kukoc. The NBA is a game of matchups, and the Hawks win just about every single one of them. Fifty wins? You can bank on it.
Jeff Becker
This team needs to come together first, learn how to play with each other. The main man has got to be Shareef, no doubt about that, and Terry is a solid (and growing!) second gun. This year will surely be a 35-40-win season, but not a 50-win season yet. Don't forget, they do have to play every West team twice this year and just about every team out West, with the exception of the Grizzlies would be playoff bound teams if they were in the East!! In two years, with this team and some minor additions, the Hawks will be back competing in the playoffs.
Vince
I don't think the Hawks will immediately go to 50 wins. Shareef Abdur-Rahim is not a proven leader and winner. Neither is Jason Terry. Toni Kukoc is beyond his prime. Theo Ratliff is a big question mark -- coming off an injury and playing for a new team. How will he adjust? Also, the Hawks still do not have a solid point guard. They've picked up reserves to do the point duties for them!! I'm sorry, but as much as I want this team to win, I don't think it'll be 50 this season.
Daniel Burapavong
I'm a die-hard Hawks fan (originally from Ga.) and I'm very excited about this upcoming season. I think the Hawks will be much improved, but I'm not so sure about 50 wins just yet. Given the fact that they're in the East, 42-45 wins could land them a playoff spot. Kudos to Mr. Babcock and staff. I love most of the moves this offseason, unlike in years past. I still don't like how Lenny was hung out to dry for front office mistakes, but I think Lon Kruger will get this unit rolling, barring any serious injuries. I like Kruger because as sad as his bunch looked last year, they did play hard every night and that has to be attributed to the coach. I see 50 wins for the Hawks, as long as they stay healthy and stay together, in 2002-03 and beyond. Hopefully we will have a serious run for the NBA title in a few years.
RJ
Absolutely. The Hawks are probably the most improved team this year, since most free agents re-signed with their old teams. The Mutombo deal was sheer brilliance for a team looking to turn around its fortunes. If Kukoc stays healthy, the Hawks are a playoff lock. And the future looks bright as well. Under Lon Kruger's leadership, Abdur-Rahim/Ratliff/Kukoc (and Mohammed when Kukoc hangs it up) could be the most fearsome frontcourt since Bird-McHale-Parish!
C. Dixon
Congratulations to the Hawks' front office for effectively overhauling the roster in a fiscally "challenging" offseason. Anyone who followed "Socks" (Jason Terry) through his career at Arizona knew that despite his collegiate experience at the point, shooting guard was his natural position for the NBA. Why Kruger wasted his talents at point for so long is hard to understand. Nevertheless, the entire organization realized his value as a big-time scorer and wisely decided to build around him. With the addition of a legit scorer on the wing in Abdur-Rahim, Terry will continue to thrive if the Hawks play up tempo (as they should). Even without a prominent floor general, the team has a solid starting five rotation and should be dramatically improved. Fifty wins and a playoff experience may not be attainable yet, but with such a young, talented nucleus they should be making a playoff appearance in just a few years. Along with the Raptors, the Hawks should be an interesting story in an otherwise predictable (translation: boring) Eastern Conference.
Grant
I believe the Hawks can win 50 games. They have two of the most underrated players in the game (Abdur-Rahim and Jason Terry) and two of the better frontcourt players in the league (Ratliff and Kukoc). Throw in breakout seasons by DerMarr Johnson and Chris Crawford and you get a team that can become a four or a five seed in the East. .
Dan Williams
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