1. The Hawks were 25th best rebounding team in the NBA according to Hoop Data's Rebounding Efficiency Rating.

2. They had the 6th best turnover rate in the NBA.

3. Atlanta were the 18th most efficient team in the NBA (16th defense, 20th offense).

4. According to PER Al Horford was the 24th best player in the league, Josh Smith was the 36th, Jason Collins had the second worst, Maurice Evans had the 8th worst, and Josh Powell had the 11th worst.

5. Al Horford also had the 45th best true shooting percentage.

6. Joe Johnson had the 24th highest usage rate in the NBA, and that was the team-high.

7. The Hawks had no players among the 40 worst in true shooting percentage.

8. When playing for the Hawks, Mike Bibby had the 30th best assist rate in the NBA.

9. Josh Powell and Zaza Pachuila had two of the top 40 highest turnover rates in the NBA; but Maurice Evans had the 3rd lowest and Marvin Williams had the 38th lowest.

10. The Hawks had no players in the top 40 in rebounding rate. Zaza Pachuila and Al Horford had the 41st and 42nd highest totals respectively, but everybody else was poor.

11. Josh Smith was one of the 40 best players in terms of defensive rating.

12. In terms of box score stats, Al Horford was the 15h best in the league and Josh Smith was the 24th best in the league. Jason Collins was the 4th worst, Josh Powell was the 13th worst, Maurice Evans was the 19th worst, and Damien Wilkins was the 21st worst.

13. Al Horford had the 7th best Win Score and Josh Smith the 29th best. Josh Powell had the 11th worst, Jason Collins the 16th worst, and Maurice Evans the 20th worst.

2010 Hawks MVP

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NBA, NBA Teams, Hawks, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachuila, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Jason Collins, Damien Wilkins, Josh Powell, Maurice Evans, Mike Bibby

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5/15 NBA News: Hawks' Future

May 15th 2011 11:48

The Atlanta Hawks were finally able to beat the Orlando Magic, and they also have their future at point guard figured out with the emergence of Jeff Teague in the playoffs. Larry Drew did a poor job of coaching during the regular season, but he actually made some good decisions in the playoffs. They were never going to beat the Bulls but taking the best team in the NBA to six games is certainly something to be proud of. The future looks bright in Atlanta, and this team could challenge for the Conference Title with another big man.

Jamal Crawford was huge for them in the playoffs, and he's a very important piece for the Hawks. They might lose him because they didn't give him an extension last year. He is set to become a free agent, and it doesn't seem as if he wants to re-sign with the Hawks. That would be a huge loss for them because Crawford is their second best scorer and second best shooter. That's because there's this guy named Joe Johnson on the Hawks.

Al Horford is the Hawks' only proven big man, and they don't really have a pure center who is capable of starting every game in a season. Jason Collins and Zaza Pachuila are backups. The Hawks may not even be able to sign that kind of a player because they don't really have much money right now.

So let's pretend that Crawford was not re-signed, and the Hawks were able to keep everyone else. Let's also say that they didn't get a good rookie- they traded their first rounder for Kirk Hinrich- and they didn't sign a free agent or make a trade. I think they would still be able to make the playoffs with his hypothetical roster. They would be a one-and-done team, so this highlights the importance of Crawford. The Hawks really need to sign Crawford and/or a solid true center. Below are my rankings of the players on the Hawks.

1. SG Joe Johnson
2. C Al Horford
3. SF Josh Smith
4. SG Jamal Crawford
5. PG Kirk Hinrich
6. SF Marvin Williams
7. PG Jeff Teague (He needs some more seasoning, but he'll develop enough to get into the top five on the team)
8. C Zaza Pachuila
9. C Jason Collins
10. SG/SF Damien Wilkins

Will He Re-Sign?

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NBA, Bulls, Hawks, Kirk Hinrich, Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford, Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachuila, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Jason Collins, Larry Drew, Damien Wilkins, Magic

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2010 PSW NBA Defensive POY

April 20th 2011 14:44

I am going to take a break from the NHL awards and give out my award for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year. This award was easily given out to Dwight Howard (his 3rd straight). I have no disagreements with this, and I will show you my statistical reasoning for picking Howard.
Defensive Player of the Year

Orlando Magic C Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard is an incredible defender; we all know that. The defenders around him are poor, so he has to make up for a lack of defensive talent. Hedo Turkoglu, Gilbert Arenas, and Quentin Richardson are three of the worst players in the league. Reserve point guard Chris Duhon is another horrible defender. Howard has dominated the middle, and that has been all they have needed to have the third highest defensive efficiency in the league as well as the second best rebounding rate. That's all Howard.

Howard put an exclamation point on his latest trophy by packing Kirk Hinrich in the Magic's playoff win. In total, Superman had 33 points while shoring up 17 boards. He had the 4th best total rebounding rate, but more importantly, the best defensive plays average. This is the average number of blocks, steals, and charges drawn per game. Basically everything from Howard was blocks, but it definitely shouldn't draw any complaints.

Ryan Anderson was 31st in the league in total rebounding rate of all forwards, which is a decent mark but nothing special. I mean, it took a lot from Dwight Howard to even be the 2nd best rebounding team in the NBA with only Anderson posting solid numbers. By the way, Hedo Turkoglu was among the worst rebounders in the NBA last year. We can all agree that Howard was the best defensive player in the 2010-2011 season. It's remarkable that Howard alone made his team one of the best rebounding and defensive teams in the league. His season was the equivalent to a 25-7-7 season for a defensive player.

2010 PSW DPOY

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NBA, Hawks, Kirk Hinrich, Magic, Dwight Howard, Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu, Ryan Anderson, Chris Duhon, Quentin Richardson, Gilbert Arenas

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2010 NBA Playoffs Preview Round One

April 15th 2011 13:53

East

1 Bulls vs 8 Pacers

What is there to say about this game? The best team in the league is going up against a team that was five games under .500. Prediction: Bulls in 4. MVP: Derrick Rose.

2 Heat vs 7 76ers

Andre Iguodala and the rest of the Sixers' players are very athletic and should be able to stick around with the Heat. If you're not a top four seed though, you won't bother the Big Three too much. Prediction: Heat in 5. MVP: Dwayne Wade.

3 Celtics vs 6 Knicks

The Knicks won't be able to stop Doc Rivers's prolific half-court offense. Rajon Rondo will break out of his slump and own Chauncey Billups. Carmelo Anthony will keep things close, but the C's are the defending Eastern Conference champs for a reason. Prediction: Celtics in 6. MVP: Rajon Rondo.

4 Magic vs 5 Hawks

This is easily the best series of the four in the East. Al Horford has really improved on the defensive end, and he won't get destroyed like last year against Dwight Howard. The Hawks are more athletic than the Magic, but I think that the all-around talent of the Magic gets them by. Prediction: Magic in 6. MVP: Dwight Howard.

West

1 Spurs vs 8 Grizzlies

Even though Manu Ginobili isn't at full strength, I don't think that really matters much in this series. He's probably only going to miss one game anyway, and the Spurs are still going to be great without him. The Grizzlies are a pretty good team, but the savvy Spurs take this in 5. MVP: George Hill.

2 Lakers vs 7 Hornets

Chris Paul is going to cause a ton of problems for the Lakers, but the Hornets can't cause the defending champs too much trouble. The talk of a Lakers' collapse will have to wait another round. Prediction: Lakers in 5. MVP: Pau Gasol.

3 Mavericks vs 6 Trail Blazers

This is my upset special right here. Although Dirk and the Mavs are a great team, no doubt, I love the Trail Blazers and their efficient-but-not-sexy brand of basketball. Guys like Gerald Wallace, Marcus Camby, Nicolas Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Miller, and even Brandon Roy (in a limited bench role) are playing well off of eachother- gee, that sounds a lot like the Spurs. Prediction: Blazers in 7. MVP: Gerald Wallace.

4 Thunder vs 5 Nuggets

I love what the Nuggets have done since the Melo trade, but it all ends here against a really good Thunder team. Their interior is good enough to match up with K-Mart and Nene now that they have Kendrick Perkins. I don't think the Nuggets have an answer against KD, and I see him going off. Prediction: Thunder in 6. MVP: Kevin Durant.

Hey Danilo, Remember Griffin's Dunk? Things Are About to Get Worse vs. The Durantula

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NBA, Celtics, Rajon Rondo, Doc Rivers, Knicks, Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, 76ers, Andre Iguodala, Bulls, Derrick Rose, Hawks, Al Horford, Heat, Dwayne Wade, Magic, Dwight Howard, Mavs, Dirk Nowitzki, Grizzlies, Hornets, Chris Paul, Spurs, George Hill, Manu Ginobili, Nuggets, Danilo Gallinari, Kenyon Martin, Nene, Thunder, Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Durant, Blazers, Gerald Wallace, Brandon Roy, Marcus Camby, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Miller, Nicolas Batum, Lakers, Pau Gasol, NBA Playoffs

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4/2011 Shooting Guard Rankings 1-10

April 13th 2011 12:54

1. Kobe Bryant- Dwayne Wade is baring down on his neck, but Bryant is still the king of the position. He plays much better defense than Wade and is the better pure scorer and shooter.
2. Dwayne Wade- Bryant's age is the only reason why people believe Wade is the better player. If somebody is older, we shouldn't just penalize them because of age when they are still better than the younger player. Heck, it's only a difference of a couple of years. I'll put Wade at the top when he's better than Kobe; it's as simple as that.
3. Joe Johnson- Johnson is one of the most consistent scorers in the NBA, and he is solid at rebounding and passing

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NBA, NBA Rankings, SGs, 76ers, Andre Iguodala, Joe Johnson, Dwayne Wade, Jason Richardson, Kevin Martin, Manu Ginobili, Warriors, Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, Keith Smart, Eric Gordon, Kobe Bryant

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4/11 Game Preview: Heat and Hawks

April 11th 2011 14:35

The Heat are currently in a vicious battle with the Celtics for the East's number two seed. They may have the upper hand now after finally beating the Celtics in a 100-77 statement win that featured an insane block from Dwayne Wade and an even more impressive performance from LeBron James. The Hawks are going to be the 5th seed in the East, and they will pose a challenge for the Heat who are looking to distance themselves from the Celtics in the standings.

The Hawks have been playing poor defense of late, and they have to get back on track against a team that will rip them apart if they do not defend well. Offensively, the Hawks have to be able to spread the ball around. They can do that with guys like Kirk Hinrich, Al Horford, and Joe Johnson. Hinrich is the X-Factor in this game. He is Bibby's replacement, and he can burn up the former Hawk as Bibby is one of the worst defensive point guards in the game

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NBA, NBA Predictions, Celtics, Hawks, Kirk Hinrich, Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford, Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachuila, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Heat, LeBron James, Mike Bibby, Dwayne Wade, James Jones NBA, Joel Anthony, Mike Miller

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3/9 Hoop Talk: Coaching Extensions and The Big Games

March 9th 2011 16:05

Yeah, Hoop Talk is a new thing where I'll just start talking about basketball. I'll start with some topics and work my way through the news of the day- sort of. Anyway, George Karl got a three year extension, no surprise because Karl is an icon in Denver. Nate McMillan got a two year extension. He is a great coach that manages players well, he has great strategies, and he deserved like a five year extension. McMillan is one of the best coaches in basketball, and his team plays very efficient basketball.

Kobe Bryant just topped Moses Malone for sixth on the all-time scoring list with his 26 points against the Atlanta Hawks. I called the winner- easy- but I also called the MVP- Andrew Bynum. He of the 16 points and 16 boards with 3 blocks on 8-10 shooting had a boom-roasted kind of day against Atlanta. Bynum was easily the most efficient player on the court in that game. Only Zaza Pachuila could even think about challenging him on the boards. Bynum was easily the most dominating defensive player in the game. He was impressive- as usual- in the paint

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NBA, Celtics, Quinton Ross, Hawks, Jamal Crawford, Zaza Pachuila, Joel Przybilla, Heat, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, James Jones NBA, Mario Chalmers, Dwight Howard, Spurs, George Karl, Blazers, Gerald Wallace, Nate McMillan, Brandon Roy, Marcus Camby, Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, NBA Analysis

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3/8 Game Preview: Lakers and Hawks

March 8th 2011 14:19

The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off of a remarkable 99-82 shredding of the San Antonio Spurs, while the Hawks are coming off of a 92-79 loss against the Knicks. They were horrible offensively in that game, and they cannot afford to do that poorly against a far better Lakers team. The Lakers won the last meeting between these two teams, and they are the favorites heading into this game- for good reason. So let's kick back and preview the biggest matchup of tonight in the NBA.

Kirk Hinrich really gives this team a point guard that isn't a liability in defense. He is much quicker than Mike Bibby, and thus doesn't get burned by the quicker point guards out there. Derek Fisher isn't a quick PG at all, so I think Hinrich matches up pretty well against him. Hinrich is a great passer that is average in everything else. Defensively, I think Fisher doesn't really do much against him. He can hit some shots if he gets open, but that's the furthest impact I think he can have offensively in this one. Maybe Steve Blake is the man that shows up today at the point for LA. Hinrich is better than all the point guards that Los Angeles has

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NBA, NBA Predictions, Knicks, Hawks, Kirk Hinrich, Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford, Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachuila, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Mike Bibby, Spurs, Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Steve Blake, Luke Walton, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum

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Reviewing Deron, Baron, and Hinrich Trades

February 24th 2011 17:57

Deron Williams has been a headcase for a while. He conceitedly called himself the best point guard in the league, and his ego caused great coach Jerry Sloan to re-sign. Williams publicly announced that he would leave after the 2011 season when he would become a free agent. When you combine this all together, it's no surprise that Williams was traded to the New Jersey Nets for prospect Derrick Favors, two first rounders, 3 million, and Devin Harris. I am going to explain why the Jazz got the upper-hand in this trade.

Make no mistake. I think Deron Williams is a phenomenal player and one of the best 10 in the league. Williams may not be the best point guard in the league like he says he is, but he is still only second to Chris Paul. He is an elite player that is incredible at driving, passing, drawing fouls, and he is a strong player that plays solid defense. The problem was that he was no longer the face of the franchise. He was becoming a reckless ego, and the Jazz are also a couple million over the luxury tax cap. Nobody wants to pay that bill. As great as Deron is, is he really that much better than Harris? Is the gap between Harris and Williams really cash and basically three first rounders? The answer is a simple no

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