Peachtree Hoops

NBA Amnesty Clause: Revisiting The NBA's Get Out Of Jail Free Card

2012-05-17T13:52:58Z

As the offseason sets in one option the Atlanta Hawks have at their disposal is the amnesty provision that each team was awarded following the NBA Lockout. Hoopsworld's Stephen Litel takes a look at several teams rostersand comes up with an amnesty candidate for each.

For the Hawks, Litel focuses in on Marvin Williams:

With Johnson and Horford locked up for a number of years, the Hawks are going to have to address Josh Smith's contract soon, which expires after the 2012-13 season. He is their best player and they must find a way to keep him in their uniform, but it will be difficult to do so without either finding a way to finally part ways with Williams, whether through a trade or via the amnesty clause. While there may be teams out there interested in Williams as a player, his contract is not a desirable one and it makes it more likely he leaves Atlanta through amnesty.

A couple of quick notes on the amnesty provision. Remember it can only be used once and must be on a contract that was signed prior to the new collective bargaining agreement. Also remember that the player loses no money and will still receive every dollar that is still owed to him. The team however gets to wipe that player from its salary picture which if used correctly could be quite a useful tool to many clubs.

With that said I am not sure that Atlanta is that club. I am still not convinced that this team can simply afford to pay a player to sit at home or play for another team. In Williams' case he is still owed around $15 million over the next two seasons. Atlanta will likely shop Marvin over the summer but will have a difficult time finding a taker that doesn't return a player with future financial commitments.

The Hawks haven't been a franchise that has been shy at spending money especially to keep its core intact. They have countered that by insisting that the team stay out of the luxury tax which they were unable to do this season due to injuries. Atlanta has also saved on its coaching staff where it pays Larry Drew a salary way below the league average for head coaches.

The amnesty clause for Marvin Williams would help with the salary cap but not with the bottom line. In this situation it still appears that the bottom line will carry much more weight.

NBA Free Agent Head Coach Power Rankings: SB Nation Takes A Look At Who's Available

2012-05-14T14:36:57Z

Lets be clear, the Atlanta Hawks still have a head coach in Larry Drew and he has a team option for next season. However, uncertainty at the general manager position at least makes his status slightly uncertain for a return to the bench. SB Nation's Tom Ziller takes a look at the head coaches available or that figure to be available and ranks them from the Zen Master all the way to Kurt Rambis. Here are a few thoughts on a few that Ziller points out.

Jerry Sloan - I'd love this but forget it as the Hawks aren't breaking the bank for a head coach. Not sure exactly what he would do with this collection of players but I think Al Horford would blossom under him.
Nate McMillan - Feels like a good fit but what exactly is the difference in him and Woodson/Drew? How much he would command would absolutely play a part in whether he was a candidate.
Stan Van Gundy - HAHAHAHA that is my thought of Josh Smith and Van Gundy coexisting.
Brian Shaw - No complaints here but doesn't have previous experience as a head coach
Mike Budenholzer - Good call by Ziller because if you had to tap an existing assistant wouldn't you want one that is working under Gregg Popovich?

Check out the full list and let me know who you think is a good fit if any in the comments.

SB Nation Atlanta: Hawks Offseason StoryStream

2012-05-14T13:49:56Z

SB Nation Atlanta: Hawks Offseason StoryStream

As always continue to check back here for updates regarding the Hawks during the offseason but you might want to also keep an eye on this storystream.

Peachtree Hoops Offers Up Thank You's All Around

2012-05-13T12:00:19Z

As I said earlier the 2012 season came and went in a blur. Just when it looked like there would be no season, the Hawks were back on the court and playing seemingly every night. It was exhausting but it was also entertaining and is already something that I am missing as I realize that it will be a long while before I get Hawks basketball again.

First off I'd like to take the time to offer up thank yous to those that help make this what it is. Always first for me personally is Jason Walker and SB Nation for allowing me to write about the team I love. Also thanks to the entire Hawks organization but especially the PR Department of Arthur Triche, Jon Steinberg and Jason Roose who provide us access to the games and the team.

Special thanks to Bob Rathbun and Steve Holman who are always ready to enter into a Hawks conversation whether it is in person or on Twitter. You guys are the best in business and its an honor to get spend just a few minutes with each of you.

Big thanks to Michael Cunningham for the coverage he provides at the AJC and for answering many of my questions along the way.

Thanks to Hawkstr8talk for keeping it real for us and our new writers William Sevidal and Nathan Butler whom we have big plans for going forward.

The biggest thanks go to our readers of this site and especially those that pump the life into our game threads. I would recognize many of you by name but I don't want to mistakenly leave anyone out but your contributions are vital to the success of this site and we appreciate you.

A quick update on our offseason coverage which thankfully won't include the talk of lawyers and courtrooms this time around. In the coming weeks we will be kicking off our for the first time ever full season coverage of the Atlanta Dream which Nathan will be heading up. We will also be turning our attentions soon to the upcoming NBA Draft and hopefully an Atlanta Hawks entry into summer league this season. With so many questions unanswered around the team there shouldn't be a shortage of topics to cover.

If I missed any thank yous then please accept my apology. Thank you again to everyone that helps make Peachtree Hoops a success and lets officially start the countdown until the 2012-2013 season.

The Hawks: bad professional wrestlers, pretty good NBA team

2012-05-12T16:04:56Z

The Hawks are the Yankees of average. No one likes them but Hawk's fans.

It is a bit shocking. Atlanta is not dirty. They do not show boat. They win games they should win and lose games they should lose. They are safe. The Hawks are non-violent. From ownership on down, they only hurt themselves. They threaten no other fan group, yet they are despised and tossed aside with afterthoughts of "same old Hawks" and "they deserve to lose." Our team is like hating a condiment you don't own and never have to use. But hated still they are.

The Hawks have been branded as bad basketball despite winning rather constantly for a few years. They rouse no joy because they win and lose in the same form most nights when they seemingly could win and lose in much better, more appealing ways.

"We don't want to see the Hawks in the second because they are the Hawks" and "they will not make the second round because they are the Hawks." It is the odd snake who eats its own tail when it is not even hungry but so it goes for Hawks bashing.

Which brings me to game six of the Hawks/Celtics series from last Thursday. The NBA came out and announced a play that would have resulted in free throws and the ball WITH THREE POINT ONE SECONDS LEFT IN THE GAME was in fact the wrong call. Not questionable. Not homerific, "these refs hate us" but blown, incorrect, if we did it over, it would change 100%.

ESPN barely ever had the AP story on the front page. Beyond that, they gave no analysis of the aftermath. SBNation rightly pointed it out on the homepage with a "could it be a blown call" post almost immediately after it happened and an update that it officially was incorrect but nothing else. No Celtics blog I could find made even a mention of it.

And why should it matter? The Hawks did not deserve to go to the second round and they would not go even if the call was right because non deserving basketball is never rewarded. Maybe if Atlanta played the game better. Maybe if they had the heart of a Kevin Garnett or Paul Pierce.

Or maybe we should just call BS fandom when we see it.

You can't hate the Hawks for the bad basketball they apparently play and not care when the game you so passionately defend by who you choose to root for is clearly compromised with a call. How can you honestly sit in contempt overJosh Smith jump shots and Joe Johnson contracts and ignore such an obvious black eye on an important game?

The reason is you are not fans of basketball, you are fans of narrative. Your NBA is pro wrestling where the script is set and outrage only comes when something upsets the agreed upon plot. A Hawks team that wastes possession and takes bad shots does not deserve to send KG into the sunset. So bury the story. Ignore the unfairness, and while you are at it, give a brief mention of how terrible Atlanta fans are on your way out.

Atlanta Hawks Recap: Putting A Lid On The 2012 Season

2012-05-12T14:13:26Z

The 2012 Atlanta Hawks season came and went in what was lockout induced blink of an eye. Just when it looked like there wasn't going to be a season the games were suddenly back and firing off in rapid succession. I took an extra day purposefully before I close the book on this season just because it felt so much like a blur but now it is time to close the cover and focus in on what comes next for this team and this franchise.

When I look back on 2012 the first thing that enters my mind is a missed opportunity. Never before have I seen the Eastern Conference open up the way it did thanks to injury to key players like Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard. Of course the Hawks were derailed early with the loss of Al Horford just 11 games into the campaign. The injuries didn't stop there either with Zaza Pachulia going down late in the regular season and missing the entire playoff series with the Celtics.

Every loss of a key player brings an opportunity and Josh Smith grabbed that opportunity with both hands once Al Horford went down. Sure Joe Johnson, Pachulia, Jeff Teague and others deserve mention but Smith had his finest hour as a pro this season. Smith's seizing of that opportunity though creates more clouds for this franchise as they shift now into the offseason. More on that in a bit.

The season began like many of the previous ones with prognosticators predicting that this was the year that the Hawks came apart. Many pointed to Jamal Crawford's departure and the subsequent signings of Tracy McGrady, Jannero Pargo and Willie Green as evidence. Well that trio successfully replaced Jamal and then some. Sure the Hawks probably could have used Crawford's firepower at some point this season but in a big picture look at things it probably wouldn't have altered the outcome.

Once Al Horford went down the feeling was unanimous that this team was finished. Yet they went on to win 40 games and capture home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs which was something they did not enjoy during the 2011 season.

The Playoffs however once again served as a reminder that this team is what it is. Its a good team, and a much better team once Al Horford returned but its not a championship team and it begs to question whether or not there is a coach out there that could mold this group into champions.

Larry Drew had a nice regular season and I praised him to jeers on more than one occasion but his matchup with Doc Rivers in the playoffs left a lot to be desired. Perhaps the Celtics are an unfair comparison. They after all are a team that has won a championship but they have incorporated some new players with their championship core. They are also a team that believes in their tried and true offensive and defensive systems and many times it is execution that tips the scales in their favor.

You can watch this Hawks team for one week and realize that nothing comes easy especially at crunch time which is otherwise known as winning time.

Now the franchise once again enters an uncertain offseason. Its very well possible that we could see some major changes to this team starting with the general manager, the head coach and down into the roster's core. Its also very possible that they push off any such decision on the roster until next year and use the Al Horford injury as an excuse for their first-round exit.

Make no mistake though change is coming whether they like it or not. Josh Smith's previous trade requests combined with him entering the final season of his contract make his situation shaky at best for the Hawks. Does Atlanta shop him in the offseason if they feel that the team can't re-sign him to avoid losing him for nothing in return or do they roll the dice. Can the team afford to re-sign him in the first place? What kind of money is Josh going to ask for or command? All valid questions that will be answered over the next 12 months.

The first question however is who will be calling the shots?

Thanks Hawks and Peachtree Hoops fans, it was fun

NBA Admits Late Foul On Celtics Was Called Incorrectly In Game 6

2012-05-12T00:32:58Z

The Game 6 loss was tough to swallow for so many Hawks fans. To come so close to extending the series to a Game 7 in Atlanta and failing by only 3 points.... I'm sure made some Hawks fans lose some sleep. The bizarre and controversial end to that game left fans thinking "what if".

With the Hawks down with 3.1 seconds left in the game and Marvin Williams inbounding, Marquis Daniels fouled Al Horford before the ball was inbounded. Referee Eric Lewis blew his whistle and believed that the foul came after the ball was released from Marvin Williams' hands, making it just a common foul that would only result to another throw-in instead of having one free throw plus the ball back.

It was a blown call,but if it makes you feel any better, the NBA released a statement that Eric Lewis did make the wrong call.

However, replays showed the foul occurred before the ball was passed and should have been treated as an away-from-the-play foul, in which case Atlanta would have been awarded one free throw and retained possession of the ball.

There's always "what if" situations in close games. Eric Lewis did make the wrong call, but who knows what would have happened after? In the end, the series is still over and the Celtics advanced to the 2nd round.

The only gripe I have would be that the national media isn't making a bigger deal out of it, which proves that they do cater to "bigger named" teams. How big of a deal would this be if this happened to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers? To the Miami Heat? To the Thunder?

Exit Question: On a scale of 1-10, how big of a deal is this?

Looking Deeper For the Truth About Josh's Long Jump Shot

2012-05-11T14:14:47Z

Looking Deeper For the Truth About Josh's Long Jump Shot

via @MikePradaSBN comes a long look into the play before the play where Josh Smith launched a long jump shot.

WARNING: Do not watch if you are apt to scream at your screen about the officiating. Just click and walk away.