For me, and in no particular order...
- Injuries (Joe Smith and Mo Evans sat out yesterday's scrimmage.)
- Jeff Teague
- If any of the training camp invitees play
- If any of the training camp invitees play well
GAMEDAY LINKS
- Lang Whitaker previews the Hawks for SLAM Online:
What should we consider a successful year for the Hawks this season?
I think 50 wins is a completely realistic goal, as is retaining home court in the first round of the Playoffs. Realistically, these Hawks are still a few players away from being a Championship contender — they could use another point guard besides Jeff Teague, and maybe another swingman.
But just as realistically, the only thing holding these Hawks back from being a title team? Themselves.
- One of the most consistent criticisms leveled against Mike Woodson (and one Lang mentions in his preview) is his tendency to make reactive rather than proactive decisions. Whether any of this plan comes to pass (Sekou is openly skeptical in the story), the forethought is a positive sign.
- DeJuan Blair debuted last night and I still do not understand.
- Emeka Okafor and Ike Diogu are out for New Orleans tonight.
- Could be a bittersweet night for Aaron Miles and/or Courtney Sims fans. I'll try and hold it together.
- In the next eight days, the Hornets will play pre-season games in Greensboro, New Orleans, Wichita, and Kansas City. That strikes me as a less than ideal itinerary.
3 comments:
josh smith not being injured...maybe playing hard and not taking too many outside shots. I want to see improvements all around. I want to know that all these guys have worked this offseason to take this team from being good to better. I don't want to see the away game losses we saw last year... the inconsistency. If this team, this core, will ever be good... its this year.
One good thing is though... If the hawks are average again this season, at least we are not stuck with Joe, and actually have money to do something. I think the Hawks are in a good situation. I like this guy, Rick Sund.
The pain of watching 90 minutes worth of teams passing on DeJuan Blair still stings.
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