The Day After

So the Hawks’ season is over. It always comes to this at some point, at least for every team but one. The day after is the worst, when we fans spend our time speculating on what could have been. Of course, after Sunday’s crushing loss, Tuesday night seemed almost like a foregone conclusion. In many ways, that overtime loss was everything that the NBA is supposed to be: a back and forth contest that wasn’t decided until the last possession; though it would have been nice to be on the winning side of it. Before we proceed with the postmortem on the 2014-15 season, a few thoughts on that gut wrenching game three, and the series overall:

-The Hawks showed a ton of heart fighting back from a ten point deficit in the fourth quarter of game three. With Kyle Korver out with an injury, and Al Horford lost to an ejection, it was inspiring to watch guys like Kent Bazemore and Mike Scott attempt to rally the troops. Plus Jeff Teague’s 30 point outburst was a thing of beauty.

-Speaking of Horford’s ejection, I felt like the officials should have left the call at a flagrant one.

-Matthew Dellavedova plays out of control, and his recklessness caused Korver’s injury and nearly hurt Horford. Though Horford’s ejection hurt the team, I have to say that I enjoyed his Dusty Rhodes impression. For you younger readers who may not know Rhodes, perhaps The Rock works better?

-I don’t know why Pero Antic continues to get minutes for the Hawks. He is a complete liability in every facet of the game.

-Even though Lebron James is a prima donna, and even though the league does all it can to help him out (see this ridiculous flagrant foul call from game one as exhibit A), and even though I get sick of his overblown injury act, it’s hard to argue with his line from game three: 37 points, 18 rebounds, 13 assists. All his faults aside, he is the best player in the game today.

-The Hawks were never able to find that magic they displayed during the regular season in the playoffs. Though they showed flashes of brilliance, their postseason effort was workmanlike in the extreme.

But enough about the disappointing ending. Now it is time to look back at all the great moments and accomplishments of the 2014-15 Hawks; a team that finished the 2013-14 season with a 38-44 record and lost in the first round of the playoffs. The very fact that we are talking about losing in the Eastern Conference Finals makes this season something special.

This years’ team won sixty games. Sixty. Anyone who tells you that he or she saw this coming is a liar. The Hawks ran away with the Eastern Conference. So much so that by New Year’s Day we were already talking about resting players for the postseason. Some of my favorite things about the season just passed include:

Kyle Korver: Korver’s outside shot became a signature play for the Hawks. When he found even the tiniest of openings and rose into the air, the entire crowd at Phillips Arena would rise to its feet in anticipation. Korver was so good this season that he nearly became the first player in NBA history to shoot 50% from the field, 50% from three point range, and 90% from the free throw line.

January: 17-0. That was Atlanta’s record in January. No team in NBA history had ever gone undefeated for an entire month. Not Jordan’s Bulls. Not the Lakers of Magic and Kareem. Not even the mighty Celtics of Bill Russell. They were so good  that the entire starting five was named player of the month. The perfect January was part of a 19 game winning streak, and an incredible run of 31 wins in 33 games that effectively assured the Hawks of the number one seed.

Four All-Stars: For a team that rarely gets mention in the national media to have four players make the All-Star team is remarkable. Horford, Teague, Korver, and Paul Millsap all made the team. On top of that, the one starter who didn’t make it, Demarre Carroll, was the team’s best player during the playoffs.

Coach Bud: I remember being pleased when San Antonio assistant coach Mike Budenholzer was named the head man in Atlanta. I was hopeful that in time, he could install the system that the Spurs rode to so many championships. But I never though it would happen so soon. The NBA’s coach of the year led the Hawks to heights they’d never previously experienced.

Big wins at home: The Cleveland win just prior to and the Golden State win just after the perfect January were absolutely awesome. I’ve never seen Phillips area the way it was during those games.

Knocking Paul Pierce down a notch: After watching Pierce beat us in game three, then nearly beat us in game five, it was more than a little enjoyable to watch his last second shot in game six get waved off by the officials. Whoever said a man shouldn’t take comfort in another person’s misfortune?

The Home Team: For so many years, I’ve had to live with most of the NBA fans I come in contact with pulling for other teams. San Antonio, L.A., Chicago. Not that it came as any surprise. After all, Atlanta is a city full of transplants. But still, I just don’t see the fun in latching onto whatever team is currently winning and proclaiming it as yours. I guarantee you that none of the championships these bandwagon fans won will ever be as satisfying as the one the Hawks will bring home one day.

Okay, that pretty much does it. Time to put the wraps on this incredible season. The Hawks have some key decisions to make during the offseason regarding both keeping their own players (Millsap, Carroll) and possibly going after a big name free agent (Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kawhi Leonard). But no matter what happens, when the next season tips off, I’ll be there. I know you will be too. Until then, keep the faith Atlanta. We’re getting there. Slowly but surely, we’re getting there.

 

Keeping the Faith

You may have noticed the phrase that I often use to close my musings on Atlanta’s sports teams. Rarely has this phrase been more appropriate than it was late in game five of the Eastern Conference semifinals between Atlanta and Washington. As the clock ran down, I found myself attempting to take my own advice by, as Billy Joel so memorably put it, keeping the faith. Or, if you prefer Bon Jovi….

Al Horford. Al by God Horford. I don’t know what else to say about Wednesday’s game. It was an ugly game without a doubt. Both teams struggled offensively, as a final score in the low eighties will attest. But I must say that I can’t say too many bad things about a postseason game that resulted in a Hawks win.

The fact that Atlanta was even in a position to win a game after trailing by nine points midway through the fourth quarter is pretty amazing in and of itself. The Hawks looked beaten; totally out of it and gone. But then a remarkable stretch of just over a minute saw them score eight quick points, including a long three point shot by Kyle Korver.

Even after the Hawks took the lead via a 14-0 run, it seemed that old lady luck was not on our side. With less than ten seconds to play, Paul F******g Pierce (how we continue to allow him to get open shots I’ll never know) drained a three pointer to put Washington ahead 81-80.

Words fail me. I could no more describe the anguish I felt when Pierce’s shot (I would later find out that after making the shot, Pierce turned to the Atlanta bench and said “Series!” What a douche!) hit the bottom of the net than I could perform a heart transplant. The whole season had been a farce; an illusion. The real Hawks weren’t the team that had gone an entire month without a loss, but the team I that had just blown a  lead at home in the playoffs.

I was beyond crushed. There was still time on the clock though. The eight seconds that remained were enough for the Hawks to set up for a decent shot, though I can’t say I ever really believed they would be able to get it done. But I stood in front of the television and hoped against hope that my feelings were wrong.

To the outsider looking in, Dennis Schroder seems like an odd choice to take the final shot. But those of us who have followed the Hawks all season know that he has often been quite the catalyst during those times when Atlanta’s offense shrivels up and dies. Wednesday night was such a time.

Following Pierce’s go-ahead shot, I stood there in shock. For the third consecutive game, the outcome of the game had hinged upon his ability to knock down a jumper. It now appeared that he would win another game for the Wizards on a last second shot.

But then Schroder drove to the basket. I leaned close to the television screen as he rose up to lay in the go-ahead basket. The ball rolled around the rim and off! But just when it seemed that the Hawks were destined to lose, Horford appeared out of nowhere. He ripped the ball away from Washington’s big men and laid in the game-winning basket with 1.9 seconds to play!

So here we are, potentially just 48 minutes of game time away from advancing to the first conference finals in Atlanta Hawks history. If the past is any indication, game six in Washington promises to be the toughest of the post season so far. But who knows; perhaps the Hawks will seize the day and take case of business. Either way I’ll be watching, and hoping for the best.

 

Top 20: Part 2

It’s been a crazy week in the ATL, with former members of our teams returning to cause us grief. First came Joe Johnson, raining three pointers with the rest of the Brooklyn Nets and pushing the Hawks more than any of us ever thought they would. With the series tied 2-2, Al Horford (20 points, 15 rebounds), Jeff Teague (20 points, 8 assists), and DeMarre Carroll (a team high 24 points) came up huge in Atlanta’s 107-97 win on Tuesday night. In a game where the Nets rallied from 15 points down to pull within a single point late, the Hawks needed every bit of it.

Then there was the matter of a certain former second baseman. Dan Uggla, yes Dan Uggla, came to Atlanta and beat the Braves with a massive three-run home run that likely still hasn’t landed. After a strong start, the Braves have slipped and become about what we all thought: a .500 team. Still a long way to go though…

But as crazy as the week has been, there is plenty of room for it to move into insane territory. It all depends on how Roger Goodell ends the following statement: “With the eighth pick in the 2015 NFL draft, the Atlanta Falcons select…….” For the record, if the top pass rushers are off the board, I’m 100% okay with hearing Todd Gurley’s name here.

On to the continuing saga of my top 20 Atlanta sports stars. If the response I got following the unveiling of the first four names on my list is any indication, I’ve certainly gotten the attention of some of my fellow fans. In the end I know that no matter who I put on the list, or what order I put them in, I’ll likely have some explaining to do. Oh well. But enough beating around the bush. Time to get on with my top 20, beginning with…..

16. Jamal Anderson-Running back-Falcons

Who could ever forget the “Dirty Birds?” The 1998 Atlanta Falcons, who came out of nowhere to win the NFC and give the city its first Super Bowl appearance, remain as unforgettable today as they were 17 years ago. If there was a face for that remarkable team, there is no question that it was Anderson.

The 5’11”, 237 lb fireplug of a running back took Atlanta by storm in ’98, rushing for 1846 yards and 14 touchdowns. Along the way he started a dance craze, became an All-Pro, and generated quite a bit of talk about the size of his thighs, which were as massive as any I’ve ever seen on a football player.

In 8 seasons with the Falcons, Anderson rushed for 5336 yards, posted four 1,000 yard seasons, and scored 41 touchdowns. Not bad for a seventh round pick out of Utah. While he has run into some personal trouble since injury forced him into retirement following the 2001 season, Anderson remains one of the most popular Falcons in recent memory.

The ’98 season will always be special to me, as it stands as the greatest to date for the Falcons. Longtime fans like me could finally puff out our chests and proclaim that we were among the NFL’s elite. Until that day when the team makes another run at glory, ’98 will maintain its place in our hearts. Much of the credit falls to Anderson.

*Should have made this list but didn’t, part 1

Jeff Francoeur: Outfielder-Braves

You couldn’t have scripted a better beginning. After being drafted in the first round of the 2002 draft, “Frenchy” quickly made his way through the Braves organization, reaching the majors in 2005. In his first game in Atlanta, he hit a three-run homer to help the Braves to a win. But it didn’t end there. After compiling a .360 batting average in his first 37 games, Francoeur was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated under the headline “The Natural.”

Then there was that arm! In ’05 Francoeur threw out 13 base runners in just 70 games, good for second in the NL. Though his hitting cooled a bit toward the end of the year, Francoeur still finished his rookie season at .300, with 14 home runs and 45 RBI’s.

Over the next two seasons, though he put up pretty good overall numbers, a disturbing trend emerged. In 2006, despite racking up 29 home runs and 103 RBI, he posted an on base percentage of just .293, and finished 3^rd in the NL in outs made. In ’07 he hit .293 and drove in 105 runs, but again finished in the top 10 in outs made, though he did win a gold glove after racking up 19 assists.

In 2008, a season in which his batting average sank to .239, Francoeur was briefly optioned to the minors, though he was called back up just three games into his assignment. Midway through the 2009 season, with his on base percentage a dismal .250, he was traded to the Mets for the forgettable Ryan Church.

It was a disappointing ending for an Atlanta career that began with such promise. In five seasons with the Braves, Francoeur drove in 359 runs, but posted an OBP of just .308. He finished in the top ten in outs made three times due to his refusal to alter his plate approach. The most telling stat of all? In 2453 at bats with the Braves, he walked just 127 times. Ouch.

I must say that despite all that happened, I do have a soft spot in my heart for Francoeur. My most vivid memory of him is the walk-off grand slam he hit in 2006 to beat the Washington Nationals, and the youthful exuberance of his celebratory home run trot. Plus he was a member of the last of the Braves 14 consecutive division winners, a fact that segways nicely into the next selection on my list.

15. Brian McCann: Catcher-Braves

One of the “Baby Braves” who helped win the franchise’s 14^th consecutive division title in 2005, McCann ended up being so much more. While serving as Atlanta’s primary catcher from 2006-2013, he made seven All-Star teams, won five Silver Slugger awards, and made four postseason appearances.

Though he hit 176 home runs and drove in 661 runs during his time with the Braves, for me McCann’s offense was never his greatest attribute. He was a leader, plain and simple. In addition to handling a perennially strong pitching staff, McCann was the man opposing teams had to answer to for violating baseball’s “unwritten rules” against showboating, most memorably against Milwaukee’s Carlos Gomez in 2013.

It was a sad day for Braves country when, following the 2013 season, it was annouched that McCann had signed with the New York Yankees. While I have no love for the Yanks, I must admit that I still want Mac to do well, even if he does lace up the cleats for the Bums from the Bronx.

14. Andre Rison: Wide Receiver-Falcons

While he is perhaps best known for having his house set on fire by then girlfried Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez of TLC fame, I remember Rison as a gifted receiver, who made the Falcons run and shoot offense of the early to mid 90’s fun to watch, and dangerous.

Over five seasons in Atlanta, “Bad Moon” caught 423 passes, gained 5633 yards,  scored 56 touchdowns, and made the Pro Bowl four times. In 1991 he helped a Falcons team that hadn’t made the postseason since 1982 not only earn a Wild card berth, but beat New Orleans in the first round before bowing out to eventual champion Washington.

Rison was one of those players who was either loved or hated; there wasn’t much room for middle ground. I loved him, and the attitude he brought to a team that had struggled for so long.

I remember being pleased when I learned that the Falcons had traded the first overall pick in the 1989 draft to Indianapolis in exchange for Rison, Chris Hinton, and a pair of later picks. I’d been a Rison fan since watching him torch the secondary of my beloved Georgia Bulldogs in the 1988 Gator Bowl. While the Dawgs, led by Rodney Hampton, held on to win, Rison was clearly one of the best players on the field that night. He would go on to be the same in a number of games for Atlanta.

13. Dikembe Mutombo: Center-Hawks

One of the great defensive players in NBA history, Mutombo patrolled the paint for five season in Atlanta. In his time with the hawks, he averaged 12 points, 12 rebounds, and more than 3 blocked shots per game in leading the team to three postseason appearances.

Known for wagging his finger at opponents following a block, Mutombo won three Defensive Player of the Year awards (though one came following a 2001 trade to Philadelphia) and was a four time All-Star with the Hawks. Though his offensive game was somewhat limited, he was such a force under the boards that he more than made up for any shortcomings.

In addition to his on court exploits, Mutombo has always been one of professional sports’ good guys. Very few athletes have done as much as him on the humanitarian level. Perhaps his greatest achievement came in 2007 with the opening of a modern 300 bed hospital in his native Congo, a project to which Mutombo had donated a reported $15 million since the project’s conception.

What do you think so far? Agree? Disagree? Think I’m out of my mind? Either way, feel free to tell me in the comments. I’ll be back soon with my next few choices. In the meantime, let’s all hope that Quinn, Dimitroff and company get it right in Chicago tonight! That’s all for now. Until next time…