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Sometimes I feel ashamed for rooting against the lowly Atlanta Hawks. After all, the Hawks loss to the Pacers last night dropped Atlanta to 36-42 on the season, giving them NINE consecutive losing seasons. That sets a franchise record; the St. Louis Hawks posted losing marks in eight consecutive seasons from 1949-1950 to 1956-1957.
Oh, and there's the little thing where the Hawks own the league's longest playoff drought which happens to equal their record for losing seasons in years. However, I am a Phoenix Suns fanatic, and Atlanta's demise can only be a good thing for the Suns. Let me explain . . .
Way back in 2005, the Suns had just come off an amazing playoff run in the inaugural season of the Nash era. Ironically, part of the reason we lost to the Spurs in the Western Conference finals (apart from the realization that the Spurs are to the Suns as kryptonite is to Superman) is that Joe Johnson got taken down by a Jerry Stackhouse cheap foul that caused a bad fall in the series against the Mavs and thus had a displaced fracture in the bone around his left eye. (I'm just now realizing how unlucky the Suns have been with cheap fouls in the playoffs!!)
Anyway, long story short, Joe Johnson wanted the ball more, he wasn't going to get it with Nash around so the Suns did a sign-and-trade transaction with Atlanta, in exchange for Boris Diaw and two conditional draft picks, on August 19, 2005.
Fast-forward to last year's draft lottery. Atlanta was pegged to get the fourth pick, but the damnable lottery moved them into the third spot thus protecting their conditional status on the pick that was going to go to Phoenix. The Suns could have drafted Nash's future replacement in Mike Conley Jr, or gone to NBA-ready Jeff Green, or gone with energy off the bench in the form of Joakim Noah. Anyway you put it, the Suns got sucker punched again, although the acquisition of Diaw did pay immediate dividends when Amare was out for a season.
This year, however, the Hawks' pick is unconditional. The Hawks started the season playing .500 ball which is good enough for a mid-range playoff spot in the Leastern Conference, but then they began to plummet after the New Year and looked to be down for the count until they finally started to put a few wins together in March.
Which brings us to the final four games of the season. Atlanta is 2 games up on Indiana for the final playoff spot and the right to be creamed in the first round by the mighty Bostonians. If Atlanta goes to the playoffs their pick is yanked out of the lottery and put at the middle of the draft, around pick 15. If Indiana goes, then the pick is back in the lottery and at worst the Suns will get the 12th pick.
Why all the fuss about 3 positions lower in the draft? It's not so much the difference between 12 and 15 but the difference between being in the lottery and not. Last year Portland and Seattle respectively had a 5.3% and 8.8% chance of getting the first pick in the draft and they went 1-2. Boston had a 19.9% chance of getting the top pick and they slipped to 5th! What I'm trying to say is sometimes a team can get lucky.
So, on to looking at the possibility of Phoenix getting lucky. These are the final games for both the Pacers and the Hawks:
Looking at the two schedules, it appears that Atlanta can probably win two games one against New York and the other against Miami. However, the last game is the second on a back-to-back game, but then again Miami is playing for the ping-pong balls and is starting D-league guys.
Indiana can easily beat Charlotte and New York but has a couple of tough road games against Philadelphia and Washington. If Atlanta wins two, then Indiana has to win out. Another thing in Indiana's favor is the tie-breaker it owns over Atlanta as a result of their win last night.
I really am sorry for all 39 of the remaining Hawks fans out there, but this is my team's chance to get a little better and have an outside shot at the big names in the draft. Without further adeu, I wish nothing but bad luck upon the Hawks over the last four games, and may the worst team keeping on losing.
By the way, anyone ever pick up on the Atlanta logo Hitler connection? Just thought I'd throw more bad karma out there for the Hawks.
Oh, and there's the little thing where the Hawks own the league's longest playoff drought which happens to equal their record for losing seasons in years. However, I am a Phoenix Suns fanatic, and Atlanta's demise can only be a good thing for the Suns. Let me explain . . .
Way back in 2005, the Suns had just come off an amazing playoff run in the inaugural season of the Nash era. Ironically, part of the reason we lost to the Spurs in the Western Conference finals (apart from the realization that the Spurs are to the Suns as kryptonite is to Superman) is that Joe Johnson got taken down by a Jerry Stackhouse cheap foul that caused a bad fall in the series against the Mavs and thus had a displaced fracture in the bone around his left eye. (I'm just now realizing how unlucky the Suns have been with cheap fouls in the playoffs!!)
Anyway, long story short, Joe Johnson wanted the ball more, he wasn't going to get it with Nash around so the Suns did a sign-and-trade transaction with Atlanta, in exchange for Boris Diaw and two conditional draft picks, on August 19, 2005.
Fast-forward to last year's draft lottery. Atlanta was pegged to get the fourth pick, but the damnable lottery moved them into the third spot thus protecting their conditional status on the pick that was going to go to Phoenix. The Suns could have drafted Nash's future replacement in Mike Conley Jr, or gone to NBA-ready Jeff Green, or gone with energy off the bench in the form of Joakim Noah. Anyway you put it, the Suns got sucker punched again, although the acquisition of Diaw did pay immediate dividends when Amare was out for a season.
This year, however, the Hawks' pick is unconditional. The Hawks started the season playing .500 ball which is good enough for a mid-range playoff spot in the Leastern Conference, but then they began to plummet after the New Year and looked to be down for the count until they finally started to put a few wins together in March.
Which brings us to the final four games of the season. Atlanta is 2 games up on Indiana for the final playoff spot and the right to be creamed in the first round by the mighty Bostonians. If Atlanta goes to the playoffs their pick is yanked out of the lottery and put at the middle of the draft, around pick 15. If Indiana goes, then the pick is back in the lottery and at worst the Suns will get the 12th pick.
Why all the fuss about 3 positions lower in the draft? It's not so much the difference between 12 and 15 but the difference between being in the lottery and not. Last year Portland and Seattle respectively had a 5.3% and 8.8% chance of getting the first pick in the draft and they went 1-2. Boston had a 19.9% chance of getting the top pick and they slipped to 5th! What I'm trying to say is sometimes a team can get lucky.
So, on to looking at the possibility of Phoenix getting lucky. These are the final games for both the Pacers and the Hawks:
| Atlanta's Schedule: 4/11 @NY 4/12 BOS 4/15 ORL 4/16 @MIA | Indiana's Schedule: 4/11 @PHI 4/12 CHA 4/14 @WAS 4/16 NY |
Looking at the two schedules, it appears that Atlanta can probably win two games one against New York and the other against Miami. However, the last game is the second on a back-to-back game, but then again Miami is playing for the ping-pong balls and is starting D-league guys.
Indiana can easily beat Charlotte and New York but has a couple of tough road games against Philadelphia and Washington. If Atlanta wins two, then Indiana has to win out. Another thing in Indiana's favor is the tie-breaker it owns over Atlanta as a result of their win last night.
I really am sorry for all 39 of the remaining Hawks fans out there, but this is my team's chance to get a little better and have an outside shot at the big names in the draft. Without further adeu, I wish nothing but bad luck upon the Hawks over the last four games, and may the worst team keeping on losing.
By the way, anyone ever pick up on the Atlanta logo Hitler connection? Just thought I'd throw more bad karma out there for the Hawks.
3 comments:
So, on to looking at the possibility of Phoenix getting lucky.
AHAHAHAHA. I will not whine about the Suns past, but the idea of this franchise having luck tickles me. But I'm not complainy, I'm just a Suns fan.
That being said, I was so bummed when Atlanta clinched the other day. I suppose an extra draft pick is good though, no matter where it falls.
Did you see this? It's (obviously) already out of date, but it's interesting. First round isn't going to be against the Hornets, so that's good. Or LA (clearly).
*so nervous*
bring on the spurs!...have to beat the best to be the best. I would feel weird getting to the finals without going through the spurs
I feel really good about this series. I just think that, with the addition of Shaq, they're now equipped to both match up against Duncan and help ensure that dirty plays have an answer.
I don't care what Bordow says. It's easy to predict that the reigning Champs will get past the first round.
Is it Saturday yet?
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