NBA Talking Points: Where The Hawks Are Coming To Dinner

Here’s the thing about the Atlanta Hawks: nobody cares about the Atlanta Hawks. Even people in Atlanta don’t seem to care about the Atlanta Hawks. It’s difficult to wrap your head around.

This is one of the most exciting teams in the league, with a bevy of young, athletic players, and for the past few years they’ve been rapidly improving. And yet, nobody really notices the Hawks. The parallels to last year’s Orlando Magic are staggering. Both teams coalesced almost by accident—did you ever think a championship contender would revolve around Hedo Turkoglu? Well, meet Atlanta’s Josh Smith. He’s just as unlikely.

And in part because nobody really pays enough attention to the Hawks, the franchise has been able to patiently build around a core of unorthodox young stars, to where they now can stake legitimate claim to Eastern Conference supremacy. Two years ago, all the stars we now call “versatile” were deemed “tweeners.” The Hawks were like a thought experiment: what would happen if a team just drafted a lot of athletic swingman? Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, Joe Johnson—the guys that currently have Atlanta sitting in the top half of the Eastern Conference used to be something of a punchline. “The Altanta Hawks: expect chaos!”

But now, because the management never had any reason to blow it up and trade guys like Williams or Smith, Atlanta’s past weaknesses are now a strength. Josh Smith has figured it out, Joe Johnson’s as good as ever, and with Al Horford, Jamal Crawford, and Mike Bibby rounding things out, Atlanta suddenly poses a lot of problems for people.

They’re not there just yet, but it’s January. Give it a few months, and watch what happens. We may very well be looking at the Eastern Conference Champions. What’s notable now is that the Hawks can compete with anyone in the league. They may not be trampling all over the competition, but suddenly, you have to take them seriously.

It’s why the NBA’s so great. You often hear people cite the NFL’s parity in explaining why they love pro football. Every year, any team can win the Super Bowl. And while that’s not true in the NBA, every year we have teams like the Hawks. Or the Nuggets and Magic last year. Every year, a different team figures it out, and makes the leap from “pretty good” to “great.” Young teams figure it out, and the landscape of the league changes. Every year.

That’s not necessarily parity, but who’s to say “Every team can win” is the better model? In my mind, at least, it’s more rewarding to watch teams like the Hawks slowly cobble together a contender, and then have a year like this season, where it all comes together. It adds a dimension of backstory that other sports just can’t match.

When the Hawks hit the playoffs this spring, it’ll be as a team that has grown up together, and that makes their eventual success or failure that much more compelling. Michael Jordan’s Bulls, the late-90s Lakers, the Pistons… They all had to struggle for a few years before they figured it out and conquered the league. That’s what’s happening in Atlanta.

Nobody notices for now, but that’ll change come playoff time.  Every year, a new challenger steps up, and takes the mantle from an aging team like the Celtics. It’s how the league works. It’s why the league works. And in Atlanta, it’s time to get excited.

This got lost in the shuffle on Monday, because let’s be honest, it was a Monday, and nobody can be expected to be hitting on all cylinders on a Monday morning. But buried in a report about last Sunday’s Blazers-Cavaliers matchup was this perfect little Lebron James anecdote from Ben at Blazersedge:

James mechanically drained his three pointers and then paused briefly as a ballboy went to retrieve a rare miss. Sensing an opportunity, one of the group reached out to James and patted him on the butt, not unlike teammates do countless times during every NBA game. Perhaps with a little more cupping action than usual but, nevertheless, an innocent gesture. The move bordered on the bizarre because it was clear the two had no prior relationship.

James wheeled, removing both his headphones instantly, clearly flummoxed that a stranger had grasped his buttocks. Upon seeing the culprit, who eyed the player with what can only be described as awe, James looked incredulous and indignant. With no other recourse available, James stopped his shooting routine, striding defiantly towards a group of his teammates that were standing near half court.  

A string of profanities flew from his mouth as he relayed what had just happened to his teammates, who hadn’t seen it. To a man, they were equally shocked to hear of the occurrence. James continued his chest-puffing diatribe, occasionally looking back at the group of teenagers. The young men were pretending to gaze out in a different direction, pretending to be invisible. While James’s teammates assured him that the kid surely didn’t mean any harm and that he was probably just wishing the player well, James continued to shake his head, failing to comprehend that someone he didn’t know, someone outside his circle, someone so clearly unimportant, would have the gall to touch him. Him.

See? This is why the internet is great. It promotes transparency, even from someone like Lebron James, as closely guarded and carefully packaged as anyone in the universe. When you consider the amount of time and care that James and his representatives put into crafting his public persona, it makes Lady Gaga look authentic.

via assets.nydailynews.com

Yep, that’s a hat made of hair. Pictures of Lady Gaga: another reason the internet is such a wonderful place.

But Lebron’s worse than her. Because while Lady Gaga consciously conjures the image of someone from space, she’s at least making an effort to be something unique. Lebron, on the other hand, seems to act like he’s someone from space, but doggedly markets himself as “down to earth” and “normal,” in the tradition of Michael Jordan.

The difference? Michael Jordan didn’t exist against the backdrop of the internet. Instead of blogs that tracked his every move, Jordan had a cadre of beat writers, all of whom he could control and censor, simply because the access he gave them would make or break their careers. A Chicago-based writer that didn’t have Michael Jordan’s ear might as well have just quit on the spot. Tiger Woods used the same strategy with golf writers. If you wrote about golf the past ten years but couldn’t talk to Tiger Woods, why even bother?

What’s that mean? Golf writers had to be careful not to piss off Tiger.

James, on the other hand, doesn’t have that luxury. Someone like Brian Windhorst is in the minority. The Cavaliers beat writer for the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, he’s probably the foremost resource on Lebron James, but because he depends on Lebron for daily quotes and insight, I’m sure there are tons of revelatory anecdotes that he can’t report. For his loyal lack of candor, maybe he’ll get to co-author Lebron’s autobiography someday.

But for every Windhorst, there are hundreds of others with no such constraints. It’s awesome. Bloggers don’t care about access, and they greatly outnumber the posse of beat writers that James has walking on eggshells. Someone like Ben Golliver at our Blazers’ blog needn’t worry; he’ll never get to talk to Lebron. Neither will I. It’s why I can sit here and say openly that while Lebron James is the most breathtaking basketball player on the planet—and it’s not even close, really—he also seems like kind of a bad person.

Imagine if you were Lebron James in the above scenario. You’re warming up, going about your business, and you see a group of teenagers off to the side, fawning over your every move. A group of teenagers not unlike the posse so lovingly portrayed in the nationwide documentary you released this summer, chronicling the exploits of you and your best friends in high school. Just a couple of wide-eyed teenagers, in shock that they could be so close to this basketball superhero. 

YOU are the superhero. Just by warming up, listening to music in your custom made Dr. Dre headphones, and quietly going about your business, you have made these teenagers’ day. Then, once you approach them, one of the kids reachs out to pat you on the butt—not unlike the pats every athlete receives at least 20 times-a-game from their teammates—and… what do you do next?

A normal person would turn and smirk at the kids, maybe laugh a little. It’s part of what makes being a basketball superhero so much fun. Just by letting some kid smack you on the ass, you give them a story that they’ll be talking about for the rest of the night, the rest of the week, and maybe the month. How awesome is that?

But Lebron James gets all huffy, takes off his headphones, and makes a huge deal out of it. “Incredulous and indignant … a string of profanities flew from his mouth as he relayed what had just happened to his teammates, who hadn’t seen it.” Fifteen years ago, writers wouldn’t have been able to write that sentence about the NBA’s biggest superstar, and we’d have never heard what happened. But because the guys at Blazersedge don’t really give a damn about Lebron, they can report what they saw.

The only thing missing is a quote from a brawny Lebron handler, scolding the playful teenagers:

“NOBODY touches The Lebron.”

And yeah, it’s a tiny moment. Lebron went on to dominate in the game that night, Shaq kissed a C-list celebrity, and it was another great show for the NBA on as Lebron, Shaq, and the Cavs starred once more on National TV. James even wore two different-colored shoes, because he’s so much fun. This is what he wants you to think. It’s what the NBA wants you to think. And indeed, it’s probably what you think.

But little moments in shootaround tell us a whole lot more about a person’s character than what he does on national TV. So which is it, Lebron? Is it playfully grabbing some kid’s french fries, or “incredulous, indignant, and profane?” Depends on who’s watching, I suspect.

Earlier this week, I offered a baseless prediction that Kevin Durant would hang 50 points on the Knicks at home. That didn’t happen—he only scored 30, his team won by 20—but the message should resonate regardless. He’s hit for 30 or more in the 11 of the past 13 games, and the Thunder are suddenly a credible team.

As that happens, Kevin Durant is quietly creeping into the conversation with some of the biggest names in basketball. When you talk about NBA scorers, there’s Lebron, Kobe, Carmelo, D-Wade… And Kevin Durant. Not quite to the “one name” level, but he probably should be.

He was born September 29th, 1988, by the way. It’s still early. 

In any case, while we’re talking about Durant’s awesomeness, this week he reminded me that he’s also pretty great off the court. On Twitter, he answered a bunch of questions from his fans. Just on principle, that’s very cool, but some of his answers were pretty funny. Below, get to know Kevin Durant with some Twitter Q-and-A. I cleaned up some of the grammar, and chipped in a few stray thoughts where applicable.

Are you ready? Durantula… UNPLUGGED!

Q. Favorite TV show?

A. Entourage

Ed. note: Okay, so… Bad start.

Q. When was the last time you cried??

A. Man maybe 10 years old

Q. Nba Championship or Gold at the Olympics?

A. Why not both?

Q. Look At My Son Rondo Wat Do Think Bout Him?

A. All star 4sho

Ed. note: Definitely gets the award for most “urban” exchange here.

Q. Who is the most underrated player in the NBA?

A. Gerald Wallace

Ed. note: Buzzsaw!

Q. Whats the best thing about playing in the nba?

A. Playing basketball all day, everyday.

Q. Who’s the funniest guy in your team?

A. Serge Ibaka

Ed. note: They’re not laughing with you, Serge.

Q. How do you like living in Oklaoma City?

A. Love it

Q. When are you going to get to host SNL?

A. That ain’t my style

Q. What do you love most about your team?

A. Our chemistry.

Q. Why do you wear #35?

A. My first ever coach died at 35.

Q. Whos your best friend in the NBA?

A. D.J. Augustin

Q. Who is the Best Defender you’ve faced so far?

A. Luc Richard Mbah Moute and Ron Attest

Ed. note: Just for the record, Kevin took the time to spell “Mbah Moute” correctly, and then followed with “Attest.”

Q. What is your favorite hype song before a game.

A. "Don’t make." 8ball n MJG.

Q. Have you considered doing charity in Africa?

A. Most definitely.

Q. What kind of car do you drive?

A. Minivan.

Q. How long have you walked with Jesus?

A. Since my freshman year of college.

Q. Who’s your favorite player?

A. Vince Carter

Q. What was the most memorable shot you made?

A. Game winner in ATL my rookie year.

Ed. Note: Sonics jersey… Remember, Clay Bennett is evil.

Q. What do you think is your natural spot on the floor? 2, 3 or the 4?

A. 3

Q. What would you say to an 8 year-old who already thinks he’s destined for the NBA?

A. Always have fun.

Q. Do you enjoy signing autographs?

A. Yesssir.

Q. Who is your biggest inspiration?

A. My brother.

Q. Why do you drive a minivan?

A. It has alot of room.

Q. What would your olympic number be if u had to choose?

A. Doesn’t matter. I just want to be a part of it.

Q. How old were you when you first thought you really would make it to the NBA?

A. 18.

Q. Have you ever been in love?

A. I think so. Does puppy love count?

Q. What was the toughest place to play in college?

A. Texas tech

Q. What’s your all-time favorite movie??

A. Twister.

Q. If you wasnt playin ball, what would be your career?

A. Meteorologist.

Ed. note: My favorite answer of any of these…

Q. Girls rockin ugg boots? Yay or nay?

A. Nay.

Q. Favorite rapper of all time?

A. Biggie.

Q. Where would you dream vacation be?

A. Dubai.

Q. If you had to pick…would you rather have a girl thats intelligent or attractive?

A. Attractive. LOL

Q. What up wit Lil Duvall tryna bag ur shorty Keri hilsion lol

A. Lil man can’t get her lol

Ed. note: Runner-up for most “urban” exchange

Q. Who’s your favorite NFL team?

A. Washington redskins.

Q. Who’s your favorite MLB team?

A. Nationals.

Q. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

A. Strawberry.

Q. If you lose a game do you watch sportscenter the next day?

A. I don’t watch it if we win.

Q. What’s your favorite food?

A. Crab legs.

Q. Who do you think will play in the Super Bowl?

A. I don’t care. The Redskins not in it.

Q. Kanye West or Lil Wayne??

A. Weezy.

Q. Best accomplishment in hs?

A. Graduating.

Q. Who has inspired you the most?! Who taught you the value of strong-will?!

A. My mommy.

Ed. note: Pretty sure his mom asked this question.

Q. Favorite female sport?

A. Volleyball.

Ed. note: Correct answer would have been “#COMEONSON”

Q. If you were stranded on an island what 5 things would you take with you?

A. Basketball, Computer, Girl, Food, Drinks.

Ed. note: My answer would be the exact same.

Q. Whats the best album youve ever bought?

A. Blueprint.

Q. What advice would u give to kids trying to be recruited?

A. Take your time and be yourself.

Q. What was your first car?

A. Toyota Sequoia

Q. Redskins? Damn I thought u had better taste than that!

A. Reppin’ for the hometeam!

All in all, a lot of great stuff. There should be more interviews like this. Who needs banal quotes about Scotty Brooks’ offense? I want to know what Kevin Durant thinks of Uggs. And what he’d bring to a desert island. More fun that way, right? Though if we’re to take away anything from the above exchange with his fans, it’s that Kevin Durant, NBA Superstar, drives a minivan. Ballin.

Yesterday, writing about this amazing shot from Monta Ellis, I noted the following:

Please note the six-part, impossibly intricate celebratory handshake with security guard at the 18-second mark.

And now we have it in .GIF form, destined to make me feel awkward and uncool, over and over again.

As I write this, it’s Thursday night and Gilbert Arenas has just been charged with a felony. As a Wizards fan, it feels heretical to applaud this news, but really: THIS IS THE GREATEST THING EVER. It’s sad that things have come to this, but that’s the kind of year it’s been. Gilbert Arenas’ current contract is the most disastrous max contract ever awarded under the current collective bargaining agreement. Let that sink in for a second.

That’s what we’re talking about here. The worst contract ever, in a league with A LOT of bad contracts. But right from the start of that $111 million deal, Gilbert’s been a disaster. He’s Chris Webber after the knee injury. Penny Hardaway, post-Orlando. A Grant Hill that hasn’t learned how to pass yet. Seriously. As a basketball player and a franchise centerpiece, Arenas has become a cautionary tale. A worst case scenario for teams making free agent decisions.

To say that the future was bleak with Gilbert would be understating it. Things were going to get really, really painful over the next few years with Arenas. This was a city that worshiped him. His fall from grace has been swift the past few weeks, but it would have happened anyway. It was only a matter of time before the fans in Washington realized that he was slowly killing the team. But now, rather than a gradual decline into misery, it’s all happened at once.

In a matter of weeks, Wizards fans have had to accept that Gilbert Arenas could never be a franchise player. It happened because of something off the court—over-shadowing problems on the court that Wiz fans would have acknowledged eventually—but that’s beside the point. Wizards fans understand: it’s time to let go of Gilbert. And because of this felony charge, and Gilbert’s impending guility plea, the franchise will likely be able to void Gilbert’s contract, and re-build about five years earlier than expected. Rather than five seasons of gritting our teeth, pretending that we can win with Gilbert, and gradually realizing the futility of it all, the Wizards get a fresh start. That’s not just lucky; it’s a freaking miracle.

The team’s worst nightmare might just give birth to a dream scenario.

And as for Arenas, here’s to hoping he gets a fresh start, too. He’s been unfairly persecuted in all this; a bad contract and bad decisions don’t mean that he’s evil. For now, he’s a pariah, and no doubt, the NBA and David Stern will try to give him the Craig Hodges treatment. But then… in a perverse way, this is perfect for Gilbert too.

He’s the underdog again. And when the dust settles here, people will realize that what he did was actually kind of harmless. Incredibly stupid, but harmless. And he’ll get another chance. Gilbert will be back in the NBA, once again trying to prove the world wrong. It’s a role he was born to play. As a franchise player, he never quite worked, but like his whole life story—just when you write him off, he’ll find a way to make it work. It won’t happen in Washington, but that’s okay. Wizards fans will always love Gilbert, and wherever he lands after all this, we’ll be rooting for him.

As someone that loved Gilbert more than anyone in sports, this has been impossible to process. But that much is certain: wherever he lands, I’ll root like hell for Gilbert Arenas. Even if he’s playing the Wizards and Kevin Durant.

A few weeks ago, when the 76ers came to D.C., I was lucky enough to meet a few of the players afterward. Of all of them, the conversation that stands out most was with Samuel Dalembert. Because two of my roommates in college were Haitian, just like Sam Dalembert.

And standing in the bowels of the MCI Center, he and I bonded over the joys of Haitian food, and laughed as I mumbled what little Creole I remembered from college. All in all, it was pretty awesome to be talking about Banan Peze and speaking Creole to an NBA player.

But today, that whole conversation feels so different. As the world begins to process the crushing losses suffered in Haiti, I can’t help feel for Dalembert, too.

Through his charity foundation, he’s been an agent of change in Haiti since entering the NBA. But now, as initial reports count the death toll in the hundreds of thousands, his impoverished nation needs him more than ever.

Even if that number proves exagerrated, we’re still talking about a human tragedy of historic proportions. And if you’re feeling numb, like most of us, it’s certainly understandable. But as we all try to make sense of this senseless tragedy, you can be sure that Dalembert will be a very active player in the relief efforts.

To donate to his charity foundation, click here. To donate to the Red Cross, click here. Or, to donate to Partners In Health, an organization dedicated to providing health care in Haiti and other underserved areas, click here.

And remember: in the absence of donations, prayer helps, too.

Dalembert has since pledged $100,000 of his own money to the relief efforts, and will match any donations put forth by the Philadelphia fans at tomorrow night’s Sixers-Kings game in Philly. He’s chosen to donate to Unicef, and if you’d like to do the same, please click here. If you’d like to donate to Doctors Without Borders—most of the hospitals in Haiti were destroyed—please click here.

Or you can simply text message “Haiti" to 90999, and a donation of $10 will be made to relief efforts.

Every little bit helps.

There are very few certainties in life, but here’s one: if your team signs Vince Carter, get ready to shake your head.

At least ten times during a given season, you will look up and see Vince writhing on the floor, only to see him gamely hop up, and gingerly walk off the court, milking the moment for all it’s worth. The first couple times, you’ll be breathing a sigh of relief. Then, once you recognize the pattern, let the head shaking begin!

Sure enough, that’s exactly what happened when the Orlando Magic visited the Washington Wizards on Friday night. I was in attendance, and when he went down, there wasn’t so much surprise as there was disbelief. Only Vince Carter would find a way to get hurt by an Andray Blatche screen. I’m pretty sure Blatche, for all his virtues, weighs about 190 pounds.

And yet, there’s Carter up there, rolling around the floor in agony. If he hadn’t been crying wolf for his entire career, maybe there’d be more room for sympathy, but since it’s Vince, this is mostly just hilarious.

But the Orlando Magic don’t think this joke is very funny. From the Orlando Sentinel:

Thirty-seven games into the season, the Magic (25-12) are still trying to adjust to Carter — and Carter to them.

Sometimes, teammates stand around and watch Carter play. Sometimes, they defer to him unnecessarily or Carter defers to them unnecessarily.

"It’s different. We weren’t used to playing like that last year … Turk [Hedo Turkoglu] had the ball, Jameer [Nelson] had it. It was pretty balanced at the end of every game. Everybody got about the same amount of shots," forward Rashard Lewis said.

And now?

“Vince is the type of player who needs the ball in his hands. He dominates the ball sometimes. That’s how he became Vince Carter,” Lewis continued. "We got to adjust to that, learn how to play with him dominating the ball.

[…]

Carter was brought in to give the Magic a consistent scoring presence, especially at crunch-time. He has been slumping, shooting a career-low 39.2 percent.

Carter currently leads the Magic—by a lot—in shot attempts, while averaging just 17 points-per-game. That’s not terrible, but put it this way: if someone’s going to dominate the ball on offense, he’d better score more than 17 ppg. Basically, the Magic have pinned their hopes to an athletic, injury-prone scorer that rarely scores in bunches anymore, and doesn’t use his athleticism to attack the basket. Doesn’t that sound fun?! 

Take it from someone that worshiped Vince Carter for the first few years of his career. For the first two seasons, he was just ferocious. And then, bit by bit, he began to float out to the perimeter, and everyone around the league kept wondering why he wouldn’t attack the basket. He worked on his jumpshot, and that was great, but somewhere along the line, he got hooked on shooting from the perimeter. And he’s never been the same since.

Maybe it’s because his mindset changed or something, but he just became a pansy. It legitimately hurts to watch Vince Carter play; like watching someone with the potential to be the biggest, most bad ass movie star in the universe waste his time doing art flicks, trying to show his “range.” That’s Vince Carter. He could have been so, so captivating as an attacking guard, and instead, he spent his career trying to prove he can dominate with finesse.

This has happened at every stop in his career. It just so happens that the Magic are catching him on the downside of career, and they’re also one of a handful of serious contenders for the 2010 NBA Title, so this particular failure looks like it’s going to be exacerbated.

The Magic were the most fun team in the NBA last year, with some of the best chemistry we’d ever seen. They had Hedo playing point forward, Rashad Lewis and Mikael Pietrus spreading the floor, and in between a barrage of threes, Dwight Howard dominating in the paint. It was a kick ass show all the way through, and when they made a run in the playoffs last year, it was even better.

And then they dropped Hedo the point-forward, adding Carter in an effort to become more conventional.

And in the same way Vince Carter’s foray out to the perimeter ruined what made him great, Orlando’s concession to convention might just kill what made them special in the first place. It’s not the same team anymore. And, unfortunately for the Magic, it’s the same old Vince. Once again, he’s disappointing us, and this time, he may take the Magic—and all the infectious joy that they brought last year—down with him.

You can’t see me, but I’m shaking my head right now. Vince Carter strikes again.