Thoughts After Game Two - It's Time For Change

It's time. Time to move in a new direction. The Atlanta Hawks need a brand refresh. This team is made up of too many negative personalities. It has never been more glaring than in these first two games vs. Orlando.

Again, you can start with the head coach. His personality does not get through to his players. When things start falling apart in a game, he sulks on the bench. This franchise needs a new voice. A new attitude. By the way, he completely over-thought the entire strategy for defending Dwight Howard. It's the playoffs - that means I better see Jason Collins and Randolph Morris sitting on the bench in their $1000 suits, not playing critical minutes in a game when Al Horford only had 1 first half foul.

Joe Johnson doesn't speak. That's a problem. Your team leader should also be your floor leader. He should be an extension of the coach. Joe is anything but that. I've sat 6 rows from the floor for probably 38 Hawks home games this year and I can honestly say I don't ever remember hearing Joe Johnson speak. Not to teammates, opponents, or referees. If not for a post-game sound bite on the television, I don't think I'd even know what he sounds like. In Game Two Thursday night when Josh Smith was pouting and not getting back on defense (or offense), nobody said anything to him. If Joe Johnson were a leader, he would have pulled him aside during the next whistle and got in his face! With the Hawks still in this game at the end of the 3rd quarter I emailed a bunch of friends to say, "Let's see if Joe Johnson can have a moment just once. Biggest quarter of his career." What did Joe do? He scored 2 points in the 4th quarter.

As for Josh Smith...is there a bigger enigma on this roster? When it's going bad for him, it's like a really bad accident on I-285, tough to watch, and really quite maddening. Josh still doesn't know his limitations. He still thinks he should be leading the fast break. If everyone in the building knows that after two dribbles he will either turn it over himself or have it stolen from behind....why doesn't he know it?? He still thinks if he misses a jump hook he is entitled to find the closest referee and b*tch that he was fouled (in the meantime, 9 other players are at the other end of the floor continuing to play.)

Marvin Williams has zero toughness. He loses control of the ball on most drives to the basket. If he doesn't, he typically just falls down. I've also noticed this year that when he skies high to grab a rebound, one of the many results is (a) fall down or (b) lose the ball trying to clutch it with two hands.

Jamal Crawford is strictly a "streak shooter." He can only score in bunches. The problem is when he's off, he still SHOOTS in bunches.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but let's recap the key personalities of this team. You have a coach that the players stopped listening to. You have your 4-time All Star that is a borderline mute. You have an unbelievably athletic power forward who isn't disciplined and has the maturity of a high school player. A clumsy small forward and a 6th man who hasn't passed the ball since Bush was in office.

Is this really who Hawks fan want to hitch their wagon to for the next few years? This is the cast of characters we are relying on to beat the elite, well coached, disciplined teams in the East. I say no. I say, it's time.