November 7
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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What is it about the Charlotte Bobcats that gives us so much trouble? It's not a divisional rivalry thing. Georgia and North Carolina are not neighboring states, so it's not that either. So what is it? Maybe it's Larry Brown. No, it can't be that, because we've ALWAYS had trouble with these guys. Then again, maybe it is, as we have one of his pupils (though I'm not sure which trait or skill his pupil latched onto exactly) coaching the Hawks. Or how about Gerald Wallace? Yeah, that's got to be it. That guy gives us trouble every single time we see him. Yet Wallace is not exactly a one-man wrecking crew, so that's not a good explanation either. Is it how the Hawks match up with the 'Cats? ..."
November 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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This could become a familiar formula for the Hawks this season, this multi-faceted offensive attack that keeps other teams guessing where the daggers are coming from next. One minute it's captain and All-Star Joe Johnson, the next it's sixth-man Jamal Crawford or Mike Bibby or Josh Smith and on and on. Were they to sprinkle a little defense in there somewhere, Hawks coach Mike Woodson would have to get as worked up as he did Wednesday night at Arco Arena, when the Hawks toyed with the Sacramento Kings before putting them away late for a 113-105 win. It was the second straight impressive road win for the Hawks (4-1), a team that struggled with games like these a year ago. Improved mental ..."
November 4
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Jamal Crawford said it was a big game. And he played like it, rescuing the Hawks from themselves and their usually frivolous ways on the road. Crawford took control of things in the second quarter and then guided the Hawks down the stretch to a crucial 97-91 win over Portland at the Rose Garden, their first road win of the season and their first quality road win in seemingly forever. With Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Marvin Williams and Mike Bibby laboring early and Josh Smith in early foul trouble, the Hawks (3-1) needed someone to take over with the Trail Blazers leading by as many as 12 points. Crawford didn't hesitate to assert himself, attacking the Trail Blazers from the moment he set ..."
November 2
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Another big game and another big let down for the Hawks. The Hawks lost their sixth straight game against one of the league's elite teams dating back to the playoffs last season, falling 118-110 to the world champion Los Angeles Lakers Sunday night at Staples Center. Cleveland swept the injury-plagued Hawks out of the Eastern Conference semifinals last season and they were blown out in their preseason finale last month by reigning Eastern Conference champion Orlando. Sunday night's game against the Lakers was a chance for redemption, a chance to prove that their 2-0 start to this season wasn't just a product of their ability to channel their energy and emotion in the right direction at ..."
November 1
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Having been here before, winning their first two games of the season for the second consecutive year, the Hawks are aware of how easy it is to become smitten with your own performance. They ran off six straight wins last year before tasting defeat, and would have made it seven if not for a Paul Pierce buzzer-beater in Boston. But the upcoming schedule, and their recent history against the league's elite, has them grounded in the reality that the slightest misstep against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at Staples Center could prove disastrous. In each of their past five matchups against a top-tier team, the Hawks have been humbled mightily. Cleveland swept them out of the Eastern ..."
November 1
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Hawks are warming to this idea of the sum of their parts being greater than any one individual. Surprisingly, captain and All-Star Joe Johnson is the head cheerleader of this new approach. The reduced minutes, the scoring-load help and the gang rebounding are all things that Johnson loves to see. And he finally got a chance to watch a little bit in the Hawks' win over Washington on Friday, when he sat for a comfy stretch of the first half while sixth man Jamal Crawford took over the game on offense. "As long as we keep playing hard and keep playing at a high level, we're going to be a tough team to beat, and that's what's most important," Johnson said. "There's nothing else more ..."
November 1
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Maybe this longing for belonging began even before Jamal Crawford embarked on his zigzag tour of the NBA. He is a Hawk now, just 29 but playing for his fourth team and his 11th coach - the league's version of foster care. But even before Crawford's professional wandering, roots were hard to come by. His college career was but a half season before the NCAA declared him poison. And before that, Crawford was raised by two parents in two homes, separated by a bunch of West Coast. There was the Seattle he loved and the Los Angeles he resented, and no simple way to reconcile the two. All of which leads the outside observer to cast Crawford's story as a guy coming to Atlanta seeking a place to ..."
October 31
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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You'll have to forgive Joe Johnson for not being able to remember the last time he sat the way he did Friday night and watched one of his teammates tote the load. It has been a while for the Hawks' captain, who sat for nearly 13 minutes in the second quarter of the Hawks' 100-89 win over Washington on Friday night at Philips Arena while sixth man Jamal Crawford stole the show. Crawford gave way in the second half to Josh Smith, who teamed up with Al Horford to control the rebounding on offense and defense while Marvin Williams warmed up before helping close the door on the Wizards in the fourth quarter. It's going to be this way for the Hawks this season, different guys carrying the load ..."
October 31
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Hawks forward Josh Smith became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 900 blocks late in the Hawks' game against Washington on Friday, surpassing Shaquille O'Neal, at 23 and 329 days. Smith batted away a Gilbert Arenas jumper and finished on the other end with a dunk with 4:22 to play. He already is the youngest to reach 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 and 800 blocks. O'Neal reached 900 at 24 years and 286 days. Smith, however, insisted that being a shot blocker was never a part of his NBA master plan. "It started out with me being young and just playing with energy, and now it has become something I just have a knack for," he said. "And I've worked hard to perfect it. I depend on it; ..."
October 30
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The numbers stayed on the dry-erase board in the Hawks' locker room for three full days as a reminder. Last season's home record (31-10) was written in bold across the top with the road record just as bold right below it (16-25). Hawks coach Mike Woodson wanted to make sure his players understand that while the top batch of numbers are fine and the bottom batch need serious work, there's no room for slippage on either side. It turns out it wasn't a necessary motivational tool. His players already had such things on their minds. "Don't think we haven't gone back and detailed the games we should have won but didn't," Hawks captain Joe Johnson said. "That's just human nature. At the end of a ..."
October 29
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Al Horford isn't ready to make any bold proclamations after just one game. But if the effort he and Josh Smith turned in during the Hawks' season-opening 120-109 win over Indiana is any indication, things could get really interesting at Philips Arena this season on the nights when they play their two-man game. They dominated the paint on both ends of the floor for long stretches, making sure the Hawks delivered what a boisterous crowd of 17,998 expected. "It's just the first game," Horford said smiling. "We can't make too many judgments. But we are trying to make an effort to play better and we needed to shut them down inside and we did a good job of that when it mattered late." It was ..."
October 28
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Joe Johnson learned the hard way that planning for anything beyond today in the NBA is a fool's paradise. The Hawks' captain and three-time All-Star was the 10th pick in the 2001 draft and a starter as a rookie in Boston. He was good enough to start for most of the first half of that season and feeling pretty good about things when the Celtics, without the slightest warning, traded him to Phoenix. "I learned my lesson right then and there," Johnson said. "And I learned it the hard way. You can't count on anything in this league but right now. It's a now-or-never thing, man, because the clock is always ticking." That lesson needs to be applied to Johnson's Hawks this season. They kick off ..."
October 28
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Jeff Schultz
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Their often praised offseason notwithstanding, the difference between where the Hawks are and where they want to go isn't about the roster. It's not about having more depth at point guard or more size coming off the bench or even some assurances that Josh Smith won't again fall into a black hole immediately following the occasional spectacular 25-point, 15-rebound, seven-block, I-own-this-game kind of night. The difference between good teams and great teams in any sport is mental toughness. It's winning road games, close games, games that are decided by intangibles, not talent. It's a coach making the right decision in the final two minutes. It's a team and a go-to guy acting accordingly. ..."
October 27
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Hawks forward Marvin Williams thought his mind was playing tricks on him when he glanced over to a corner of the team's practice facility Sunday and saw both Al Horford and Mike Bibby, wrapped up with wires and protective gauze, receiving medical treatment. When you've dealt with as many injuries as the Hawks have in recent years, just the slightest ache or pain is cause for concern. Seeing two starters on the sidelines at the end of a practice 72 hours prior to tip-off of the regular season was more than enough for Williams, who last year saw his regular season cut short by 16 games because of a back injury. "You always get nervous when any of your players go down," Williams said. "I'm ..."
October 26
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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After a reasonably injury-free preseason the Hawks came crashing back to reality Sunday. Al Horford sat on a corner table with wires hanging from his ankle (courtesy of a twisting in Friday's loss in Orlando) and Mike Bibby joined him later on wire duty (on his non-shooting wrist) after jamming it during a drill in practice. That scowl on Hawks coach Mike Woodson's face, also a product of Friday's dismal showing against Magic, immediately turned into a look of worry. Woodson hadn't planned on either his starting center or point guard being questionable for Wednesday's regular season opener against Indiana at Philips Arena. But as of this morning there's some concern that one or both of ..."
October 24
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Hawks are days away from Wednesday's start of the regular season, and the roster is set. Second-year forward Othello Hunter won the battle of the free agents to snag the 13th spot on the roster, edging out seven other hopefuls for the job. With all of the jobs settled, it's time to break down the Hawks' roster, position by position: The starters Marvin Williams, small forward Ht: 6-9 Wt: 240 Age: 23 Experience: 5th season 2009-10 salary: $7.5 million What to expect: Williams is healthy and eager to continue the breakout season he was having last year before missing the final 16 games of the regular season with a back injury. Hawks coach Mike Woodson has a larger role planned for him ..."
October 24
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Sekou Smith
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For as long as Hawks coach Mike Woodson can remember, basketball players, coaches and officials have ignored the rule book where "walking" is concerned. The NBA rule book always mandated that a player on the move had one step to gather the ball after suspending his dribble. No one ever paid attention, though, at least according to Woodson. "Maybe the rule book has been wrong all these years," Woodson said, rubbing his chin while staring into space. "I know this: I've been playing basketball from elementary to college and all the way up to the pros, and every step of the way you were allowed two steps. It's always been that way." Now the letter and the intent of the written rule match. The ..."
October 23
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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The Miami Heat's preseason ended the same way as its postseason. With a thud against the Atlanta Hawks. Facing Atlanta for the first time since falling in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs, the Heat fell 92-87 Thursday at Veterans Memorial Arena to complete its exhibition schedule at 2-5. "I'm not sure what we can take out of this game," coach Erik Spoelstra said after his team fell behind by 18 early, never led, shot only 36.8 percent and allowed 57.1 percent shooting. "I don't think it was played efficiently or well." Up next is Wednesday's season opener against the New York Knicks at AmericanAirlines Arena. The Heat figures to be whole by then, with forward Michael Beasley ..."
October 22
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Wow. I just got back from reading Sekou Smith's (the Hawks awesome beat writer) blog, and….I don't believe I've ever seen this many well-wishers for guys who were looking to make the Hawks squad out of training camp. Is that really how far things have come? I mean, we talk about the evolution of this team, this organization, this coaching staff. But how about this fan base? Have we evolved along with this team as well? I think most of us can agree that we've complained about plenty of things in the past. And there are some things we STILL complain about. We're fans. We pay for a product, we all want to see what we want to see, and we all have an opinion, though that tends to vary from ..."
October 22
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Mo Evans has had to fight for everything he has gotten in his NBA career This season likely will be no different for the Hawks' reserve swingman, who is firmly entrenched on the roster but still a bit unsure about his role in coach Mike Woodson's playing rotation. Where he fits, though, is far less important to Evans. Because after years of scrapping to prove his doubters wrong as an undrafted free agent, he appears to have found a niche as the Hawks' "utility man" -- a player capable of filling in whenever and wherever he is needed."
October 21
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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For the better part of the past two years, Hawks point guard Mike Bibby played his role to perfection. When his team needed a clutch basket or the right pass, he was there. He ran things in a way that not only put Hawks coach Mike Woodson and his teammates at ease, he did it in ways the Hawks hadn't seen before his arrival. "We didn't put it all together until he showed up," Josh Smith said. "Once he got here it all came together. To me, you couldn't ask a guy to do any more than he's done for this team." But that's exactly what the Hawks did when they re-signed Bibby as a free agent this past summer."
October 20
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Hawks' training camp roster is down to 16 players after the team released veteran guards Mike Wilks and Juan Dixon Tuesday morning."
October 20
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Josh Smith won't hide his ambitions this year He wants to be an All-Star. But he'd gladly settle for a spot on the All-Defensive team, an honor that's eluded him his first five seasons despite his shot-blocking prowess. The difference between the aspirations Smith had earlier in his career and now center on his understanding that the team's success comes first and the residual benefits usually follow in the form of individual honors. "After all the goals we have as a team -- and we have lots of them -- those are definitely my goals," Smith said before the Hawks' 113-95 preseason win over Washington Monday night at Philips Arena. "And I don't think they are too far fetched. I'm six years ..."
October 18
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Hawks coach Mike Woodson is careful not to invest too much emotion into preseason basketball. There was a time when that was not the case, when Woodson pushed his team to fight for every inch of space in the preseason like it was the playoffs. He learned his lesson after back-to-back trips to the playoffs. "The season is so long when you're dealing with the playoffs and everything that comes with it," Woodson said. "So you have to pace yourself and make sure you take a more measured approach." That doesn't mean the preseason is without merit. Plenty can be learned about a team while watching it play seven or eight games that essentially mean nothing outside of the lessons learned about a ..."
October 17
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Garret Siler's heart dropped when he saw Hawks team assistant Michael John Garrett walk from one side of the locker room to the other and tap two players on the shoulder. Was he next? Was his time up? It turns out that Siler wasn't one of the players on his way out of the Hawks' training camp that day. Frank Robinson and Aaron Miles were the first players cut. Three weeks into training camp Siler is still here, grinding his way through every single day and still hopeful that he'll make the Hawks' roster the hard way, as an undrafted rookie free agent. For a moment, though, albeit a brief moment, the 7-foot rookie center from Augusta State thought his dream of making it was over. "Mike was ..."
October 16
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Joe Smith wears his status as elder statesman in the Hawks' locker room with pride. The barbs from his younger teammates don't sting as much, considering they're all rooted in truth. And, no, he did not help Dr. Naismith hang the first peach basket. "They love to tease me about being the old guy," a smiling Smith said while sitting at his locker after practice Thursday. "Young fella [rookie Jeff Teague, who lockers next to Smith] told me he was 6 when I got drafted and I was like, 'Wow.' But that's reality. When you stick around a long time, you get a chance to see and do it all." The Hawks have yet to unleash Smith in the preseason, preserving the veteran power forward's legs for what ..."
October 14
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Five years into his NBA career, Marvin Williams has more than established himself in the league. The proof can be found in his numbers. For his career Williams has averaged 12.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and started in 209 of the 284 games he's played since being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 draft. For all that, both Williams and Hawks coach Mike Woodson are convinced that there's much more the starting small forward can do. "Marvin's come in every year since his rookie year in great shape and he's really been consistent," Woodson said. "But he's the one guy over the next two years that I think can really make the jump to become more of an elite scorer, mostly because he can ..."
October 13
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Al Horford's name is rarely mentioned by Hawks coach Mike Woodson. In two plus years with the Hawks Woodson said he hasn't had to worry about his starting center doing anything other than what's asked of him. And this season, you can count on him being asked to do a whole lot more, particularly on the offensive end of the floor. "I know one thing," Woodson said. "I have to get him more touches to the point where he's more of a threat. Between him and Zaza [Pachulia], we need to be able to muster at least 20 points a night. If we can get Al at about 12 or 13 points and double digit rebounds and Zaza somewhere around eight to 10 points, then we're talking." Horford prepared this summer for ..."
October 11
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Jamal Crawford couldn't help but be a little envious of his new Hawks teammates on his first day in the locker room. Everyone was so comfortable with each other. It was obvious they had been together for so long, some of them for four and even five years. That's an eternity in the NBA, where free agency and turnover in general can make the first day of training camp seem like the first day of kindergarten, what with all the introductions that go on around the room. "It's just nice to see a team that has this kind of unity and togetherness," said Crawford, acquired on draft night in June in a deal with Golden State, and one of four new faces (not including tryout players) in the Hawks' ..."
October 8
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Jeff Teague swears he was nervous before the Hawks' preseason opener Wednesday night at Philips Arena. He even had the stomach tremors to prove it. But it didn't take long for the rookie point guard to shed his inhibitions, which led to his shredding the defense of the New Orleans Hornets in the Hawks' 108-102 win. Teague led the Hawks with 19 points off the bench and a team-high 33 minutes as the Hawks' starters built a huge lead and the second unit cruised, for the most part, over the Hornets. Teague even managed to put a smile on Hawks coach Mike Woodson's face several times throughout the game, a tough job for many of his rookie predecessors. "Coach didn't really dial off on me or ..."
October 8
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The last time you saw the Hawks on this floor, their heads were dipped and the spirits were sagging. On the receiving end of a series of furious left hooks and right crosses from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the mood was nasty. Thank goodness for preseason basketball. The Hawks kick off their slate tonight at the building formerly known as the "Highlight Factory" against New Orleans. While I don't expect to see Joe Johnson and Josh Smith or Chris Paul and the Hornets' starters for long, I'm going to cherish the few quality minutes we see from the big boys tonight. If we get a barnburner by accident, so be it. After all, this is Mike Woodson we're talking ..."
October 7
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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On paper, Mike Woodson's plan looks like something the folks at AT&T might have cooked up. There are shared minutes, rollover minutes and just about enough minutes to go around for everyone. But in reality, there's no telling how floor time works out in the flow of a game, let alone an 82-game season. That's one reason why the Hawks' coach is so anxious for his team to hit the floor Wednesday night in the preseason opener against New Orleans at Philips Arena, even if it is just a dress rehearsal for the real thing. "I've got an idea of how we want to do things," Woodson said. "But that could all change as we go through this. The fact is guys won't play big minutes in the preseason. Our ..."
October 6
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Juan Dixon and Mike Wilks share more than just locker room space these days. The veteran free agent point guards share similar frustrations, ambitions and desires as they seek a permanent spot on the Hawks' roster with their work in training camp. There is no tougher way to secure a job in the world's most high-profile basketball league. With a combined 13 years of NBA experience, Dixon and Wilks have both played significant roles on quality teams - Wilks won a championship ring in 2005 with San Antonio - yet here they are, chasing their hoop dreams like so many journeymen throughout the league this time of year."
October 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Hawks coach Mike Woodson issued the challenge after Saturday's first training camp scrimmage. Jamal Crawford and his buddies on the reserve squad supplied him with a resounding answer Sunday. They not only held up against the starters unit in Sunday's second scrimmage. They won in overtime behind a "fantastic" effort from the veteran guard, whose scoring and playmaking ruled the day. Unofficially, Crawford finished with more than half of his team's 49 points and at least 10 assists in a one-point win. Much more important to Crawford, however, was the resilience the second team showed after being pushed around Saturday. "I made sure to have my guys get some rest [Saturday nght] and we came ..."