Hawks Pick Up Larry Drew's Option, Send me into Fits of Rage

I've said several times that the Hawks should consider going a different direction in terms of coaching. However, against the advice of everyone that has any sort of knowledge of the game of the orange ball, the team has picked up Larry Drew's option for the 2012-2013 season.

I really don't get why I'm so shocked with this. This is the team that decided that the players were no longer responding to Woodson two years ago, fired him, and then promoted his assistant, who doesn't challenge his players like a real head coach should. (which has led to the wonderful nickname of "Uncle Larry") I don't think the organization got that, if you want to change the voice in the locker room, you can't just fire one guy and hand the microphone to the coach that the players like and have already been listening to for the past six years.

What I take from this is that the team is going to stand pat for one more year. Smoove isn't going to get traded, Joe isn't going to get amnestied, and Marvin is still going to suck. The owners will blame injuries for the reason the team stalled again last year, and likely give it one more go before Smoove's and Zaza's contracts expire at the end of the season. While I think that the players should be given another ride, I still firmly believe that this team would become so much better under a different coach. ( a Van Gundy could work) Of course, Dwane Casey and Avery Johnson could have worked, but the ownership decided that they were to difficult to get, and that they wanted too much money. *rolls eyes*

Of course, this decision also means more of this:

NEVER, EVER, EVER TRUST THE HAWKS

Hawks' Plans for the Offseason

Welp, the Hawks' season is now over (*cough* 2 and the ball *cough*), and have a lot of things to think about in the offseason. Here's what I think the team should consider.

First, I'll go ahead and say that they should not blow up the team. The only major move I would consider is trying to trick Otis Smith into somehow taking Joe's contract as a way to possibly appease Dwight Howard.  (which I don't think even Otis is that gullible) Otherwise, wait until the end of next season (when Zaza's and Smoove's contracts are up) before throwing TNT all over the place.

Which goes to my next point: don't trade Josh. You're not going to get equal value for him and a trade "just to make a trade" gets rid of your only marketable player, your best help defender, and probably your best facilitator. The jumpshots are getting more annoying every game (see the 20 foot fadeaway at the end of this game), but I still believe the right coach can fix this problem.

That leads to another thing: explore all possible options for the head coaching position. (SVG, obviously) Larry Drew's "motion offense" is a hell of a thing to watch... when the team is actually running it. At times this year, Drew has resorted to iso-Joe more than his predecessor did, which is amazing because Drew should know that's the main reason Woody was fired. Hell, at least Woody could control Smoove. (Am I starting to miss Woodson? Nah... maybe?)

Now, trying to keep the quality bench that the team had this year may be tricky; even though Kirk's contract comes off, the team still has $61 million invested in it's six core players for next year. My first move would be to offer Ivan Johnson a two year contract, either utilizing the mini-MLE or even going so far as to use the full-MLE under the Arenas Rule. A rotation of Smoove-Horford-Zaza-Ivan at the four and five positions isn't something that most teams could match. Next, I'd offer contracts to Willie Green, T-Mac (although he's probably on his way out of Atlanta), Pargo, and possibly Grant Hill. Getting two or three of these to sign would give the Hawks a 9-10 man rotation, which should be good enough during a normal season. Maybe try to bring Stackhouse back as an assistant coach.

Then, of course, there's the draft. Hawks have the 23rd or 24th pick. (I can't remember which one and I'm too lazy to look it up) Most fans seems to want point guard Tony Wroten Jr. at that spot, but I think the team could also go with small forward Draymond Green out of Michigan State. I think the pick depends on which players the team signs/resigns in free agency.

Well, until next year, Hawks. *breaks things*

No Smoove? Big Problem

What should they do if Josh can't play tonight?

Pray to every deity they can think of and offer up Marvin Williams as sacrifice. Yep, that should work.

In all seriousness, I'd like to see them experiment with a Teague/TMac/Joe/Marvin/Collins lineup, with Ivan providing the energy off the bench. Don't sit Teague and Joe at the same time, especially when the Celtics still have a majority of their starters in.

Also, let Jeff shoot the ball as many times as he wants. If Josh doesn't go, the only chance the Hawks have to win this game is if Teague goes off and plays like a top tier point guard.

Hawks-Celtics Game 2: Ultimate Test of "NTTH"

One of the more senior jokes in ESPN's Daily Dime Live is NTTH: Never Trust the Hawks. Well, it isn't really a joke; it's more of a law of life that must be upheld by all humanity, as dire results await those who oppose it.

However, there may finally be a chance for NTTH to shatter into little basketball pieces.

In this series against the Celtics, practically no one picked the Hawks. It was all about the Big 3 + Rondo, and whether or not they could possibly upset Chicago in then next round. Then, after Derrick Rose's tragic ACL injury, it because about a Miami-Boston Eastern Conference Finals.

ECF? The Celtics hadn't even played a game in the playoffs yet! And they didn't even have homecourt in the first round! Why is it that they had such a clear path to the conference finals? Well, obviously, because you couldn't trust that Hawks to utilize homecourt advantage. Compound that with both Zaza Pachulia and Al Horford, and it could appear as if it would be a walkover for the Celtics.

But, of course, you couldn't trust the Hawks to lose either, even with the clear disadvantages. So, appropriately, the Hawks won game one and had complete control for most of the game. And now, with Rondo suspended for game two due because of his chest bump, Atlanta has a decisive advantage over Boston and could take an important 2-0 in the series with a victory.

Naturally, this is the game they would usually discover a new way to lose. However, I actually have confidence that they will pull this one out and begin to quell NTTH for good. Seriously, stop laughing and here me out on this.

NTTH really reached its height in the two previous seasons. Two years ago, the three-seeded Hawks won 53 games, but even then still had problems handling teams like Golden State and Charlotte. Come playoff time, they struggled against an ailing Milwaukee team, then proceeded to get swept by the Magic in blowout fashion.

Exit Mike Woodson and enter Larry Drew. Of course, let's fire our head coach that makes the players battle with him and hire his assistant who is wanted by the players. The result? A reduction of nine wins to 44, a breakout of Josh Smith jumpers all over the court, and a continuation of the idea that Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford were point guards. However, NTTH reversed in the playoffs, and the Hawks were able to get by the Magic in six, and take the Chicago Bulls to six behind Jeff Teague's breakout performance.

This year, NTTH has started to break down, even though the phrase had begun to rise in notoriety. Sure, the 3OT loss against Miami, who was playing without LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, is one of the most classic moments of this basketball law. Sure, the Hawks lost to Toronto at home when they were extremely shorthanded and playing with a group of D-Leaguers. However, despite that, what are the team's other severe deficiencies this season? The team went 40-26 without Horford for 55 games, without Joe Johnson and Zaza Pachulia for seven games a piece, and with Josh Smith deciding to continue his Reggie Miller jumpshooting impression. The bench is no longer a one man show and can actually make-up for one or two guys having an off game. This team has just seemed... different.

So, back to tonight's game two. The "underdog" Hawks have turned into the favorite after Rondo's suspension. Atlanta is at home, in Philips Arena, where they have never lost to the Celtics in the playoffs. Essentially, it's the perfect time to see whether or not the Hawks have truly started to grow into a team that can play with consistency, or one that is still marred by mental roadblocks.

Did I mention that winning this game could give the Hawks a track to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since... ever? Yeah, this is the perfect test.

Best NBA Commercials This Season

Over the course of the year, the NBA has made several great commercials, and NBA players have participated in their own marketing ventures. Here are the ones that I think are the best.

Kevin Durant, Sprint Commercial

KD hates Doodle Jump. You know why? Because you missed his game winner, obviously. Oh, and because he can't catch the guy.

The KobeSystem

What exactly is the KobeSystem? Is it just a shoe? Is it a provocative set of philosophical knowledge? Or is it the ability to successfully take on three defenders at the end of a game for the winning shot?

Okay, nevermind. It's not that last one.


I Think We Found Kyrie Irving

Go through your couch cushions right now and see what you can find. You'll likely find some paper scraps and four pennies. Mike Breen? He found Cavs rookie sensation Kyrie Irving, who had taken up residence in the RV's couch. Hey, maybe that's where LeBron was hiding in the 4th quarter of the Finals. (BOOM!)

Happy Together

I've always loved the big-head commercials, but this one might be the best, even if it's only for the end part with KG.

NBA Forever

This might be the greatest commercial ever. Seriously, the editing is fantastic, the effort into it is apparent, and it captures the full history of the NBA in two minutes of strung together clips. But seriously, adding Derrick Rose to the Jordan/Pippen Bulls? That's just not even close to being fair; that team never loses.

There are probably other great commercials that I'm missing because I've either forgotten them or haven't seen them due to TV market, etc. However, you know what commercial/marketing ploy might be the worst?

INSANITEAGUE?!?! COME ON, ATLANTA!! THIS IS WHY NO ONE TAKES US SERIOUSLY!! (well, that, and the bad drafting, idiotic ownership, poor attendance...)