Atlanta Krunk

Top Basketball Prospects in Atlanta This Year

admin — Sun, 01 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

High school basketball in Atlanta continues to produce a ton of talent. During the 2010 – 2011 season, four prospects stood out above the rest. Two are seniors and two are juniors. Two are post players, one is a point guard, and one a versatile wing player. They are all heavily recruited.

1. Nick Jacobs, South Atlanta High School. Jacobs is a beast in the post. At 6 – 8 and weighing 260 pounds, he is a man among boys. His post moves are still raw but he is strong, athletic, and has good hands. Jacobs averaged 23 and 13 during this, his senior season. He committed to Alabama.

2. Marcus Hunt, North Clayton. Clayton, a junior 6 – 5 wing, is athletic, versatile and possesses a high basketball IQ. He averaged 25 points a game this season.

3. Tony Parker, Miller Grove. Parker, a 6-8 270 pound junior, is a man among boys down low. He averaged 20 and 17 last season and is being recruited by Duke and UMC.

4. Shannon Scott, Milton High. Scott is a 6-1 point guard headed to Ohio St. He’s a quick, heady, and hardworking point guard with a good handle and high basketball IQ.

Mario West: Atlanta’s Underdog Hero

admin — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

All sports are full of unsung heroes. These are the athletes that are willing to put in the time and the energy, not necessarily to be the best, but to be a significant contributor on their teams. In basketball, these are the players who are willing to take the charge, make it difficult for other’s to score and who impact the game without the stats necessarily reflecting their impact. That effort is what has made Mario West Atlanta’s underdog hero.
Mario West originally made an impact for Georgia Tech where he walked on as a freshman and ended his career with 116 steals. His hard work and determination paid off and eventually got West into the NBA despite not being drafted. He ended up on the Atlanta Hawks, not as a starter, but as a player who energized the entire team. His hard work and tenaciousness not only helped him in his own career but challenged his teammates in practice and helped change the momentum in important games.
In 2009, West joined the Red Claws, a team in the NBA D-League. While he was an unsung hero on the Hawks, he became a hero on the Red Claws making the team and his teammates better. Unfortunately, he announced that he is leaving the team to go back to Atlanta to be with a sick family member. This act shows that he is not just an unsung hero on the court, but off the court as well.

Should Coach Woodson be Giving Teague More Time?

admin — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Jeff Teague is the kind of player the Atlanta Hawks need: a young player with a nice upside. Teague has demonstrated flashes of NBA talent during his short career. Now that he is getting the opportunity to play significant minutes, Teague is delivering.

In his recent start against the Portland Trail Blazers Teague came up big with 24 points, five steals, four rebounds, and three assists. He even blocked three shots, impressive as a point guard. His successive stat lines have not been as stout, so you know that Teague was amped up for his big start. Nevertheless, in the Hawks last game vs. the Miami Heat, Teague posted 13 points and six assists.

Let’s face the truth that the Hawks will not make any noise in the playoffs this year. They struggle big time against the Orlando Magic, their likely first round opponent.

Those playoff games and the last thirteen games of the season are meaningful games though, and Teague should be given every opportunity to lead this team at the point. The Hawks need young talented players for the future. Teague’s ability to shoot and create off the dribble fit the mold the Hawks need at the point.

Is Drew Getting It Done?

www.atlantakrunk.com — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

With the Hawks season well underway, well, somewhat underwhelmingly underway at least, one can’t help but look at the off-season and wonder whether letting Mike Woodson go was the right decision. Sadly, like my League Pass on DIRECT TV Atlanta has absolutely no playoff game, even if we show up nightly in the regular season. The Hawks aren’t off to a bad start, not by the Hawks standards fans were accustomed to throughout much of the 2000′s, and to be fair, an injury to Joe Johnson has also hindered the team to function at full strength towards the end of 2010. Still, for an organization that dismissed its coach after its first 50-win season since the Bill Clinton Impeachment Trial, such strong natured actions are not without the repercussion of close scrutiny.While the wins and losses aren’t terribly disconcerting at this point, the performance of the much hyped Larry Drew motion offense is yielding mixed results. On the bright side, assists have skyrocketed from the middle of the pack to top 10 in the league up over 2 full dimes per game, indicating a trend away from the largely iso-driven offense that became a staple of Woody sets over the past several seasons since Joe Johnson’s arrival, further perpetuated by the additional scorer/ballhandler capabilities of Flip Murray and Jamal Crawford over the past 3 seasons. The downside? Total points have also dropped, topping the 100 PPG plateau last year, but safely below that high watermark so far this season.Of course, there’s no way to see precisely how much Drew’s job has impacted the squad until postseason play. Arguably the main factor in Woodson’s departure was the team’s ineptitude against the elite Eastern Conference squads in post-season play. While point totals were among the better totals in the league during the regular season, the Hawks sputtered during the playoffs, marking the 3^rd straight year of inconsistent effort. In 2007-2008, a young Hawks squad mustered only 87.1 PPG in their 7 game 1^st round contest against the 1-seeded Celtics, a forgivable number considering the grit and talent showcased in their debut playoff appearance. The following two seasons, however, though the Hawks managed to make it through the first round on both occasions, the team was then demolished in Round 2 by the Cavs and Magic in respective years, finishing 15^th and 14^th in points scored among 16 playoff qualifying teams, despite winning a series .So be patient with Drew. Yes, a higher offensive output seems like it should be there given the talent and maturation of the current roster, but as long as Drew can coach the Hawks to at least a competitive showing against a higher seeded team this post-season, it will certainly be a step in the right direction.

Most Overpaid Player? Wade and See

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:01:42 +0000

With all the maximum salaries, mid-level exceptions and Bird rights clauses being thrown around in NBA off-season discussions, it’s safe to say even the casual basketball fan is walking away from this summer with a little more knowledge about NBA bookkeeping and the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Over the past few months, a lot of statistics and numbers have been thrown out as to forecast how teams will perform, what kind of future roster flexibility will be available and even what players might be on the move come this time next year and the year after. But weeding through the entire matrix of formulas and figures, one very underpublicized and underreported stat shines through in the evaluation of the 2010 free agency period: Dwyane Wade is only 6 months younger than Joe Johnson.Granted, right now Dwyane Wade is a much more high impact player than JJ, and if you could guarantee the same continued output going forward, it would seem Wade’s value greatly exceeds that of Johnson. Johnson’s deal is actually larger than Wade’s, as Wade, LeBron and Bosh all accepted reduced contracts in order to play together, however in talks leading up to their signing, no one in the NBA, from analysts to GMs to even fans, seemed to bat an eye at signing Wade to a max deal. Johnson’s contract on the other hand was declared “the worst in the NBA” before the pen had even touched paper. Considering their two vastly different styles of play, in three years can you absolutely say you would rather have Wade than Johnson?The undersized Wade is famous for his “Fall 7 Times, Get up 8″ scoring mentality, crashing towards the basket with a general disregard for his body. But in 3 years is that really what a team wants from an over-30 guard with 20 million a year on the books? Once Wade’s age and reckless flair finally catch up with his body, most likely starting in the knees, how will the rest of his game hold up? Historically, Wade has struggled with his jump shot, particularly pedestrian from long range, struggling to hover around 30 from 3 (28.9 career). Johnson on the other hand, makes his living below the rim, using his 6’7” frame to get off his shot, and since JJ is predominantly a jump shooter, a la Ray Allen, he should expect to have a fairly elongated window with respect to performance over time. Sure, right now Wade over Johnson may be a slam dunk pick (no pun intended), but starting in say 2013, which would you rather be committed to paying?

Winds of Change a Light Breeze for Hawks

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:52:55 +0000

The 2010 off-season was a revolving door for most teams in the NBA’s Southeastern Conference. As the heat of August winds down, the winds of change in Atlanta, however, fell short of the gale force blasts sending franchise altering reverberations through cities such as Miami and Washington D.C. Not to say Atlanta’s summer was without addition or subtraction, after all, the past three months have seen a coaching change and entry draft, not to mention some free agency afterthoughts (i.e. Josh Powell). Still, the thinking among many Hawks fans is that this off-season served more as a reaffirmation of the team’s current strategy rather than the strategic overhaul some say is needed. By most accounts, the Hawks have hit a plateau as far their potential performance with their current core roster. Despite the fact that the Hawks have continued to improve their regular season win total in each of the last 5 seasons, the team is yet to move past the second round of the playoffs, stuck somewhere in between the upper echelon of Eastern Conference contenders and safely above the lottery bubble. Virtually every preseason forecaster will find the Hawks somewhere in the same playoff field, but with the same certainty they will guarantee Atlanta players are at home (as in watching on TV, not home-court advantage) when the conference semifinals roll around.The most potentially game-altering paradigm shift underway in Atlanta is the coaching transition from Mike Woodson to Larry Drew. While Drew is promising an offense full of moving parts and light on the iso situations that have defined Hawks basketball throughout the Woodson era, how much of a difference actually shines through on the court is up for debate, especially considering Drew has been a member of Woodson’s staff throughout his tenure in Atlanta, without a head coaching gig of his own to reference. The biggest move of the off season was to re-sign shooting guard Joe Johnson, a highly scrutinized deal that made JJ the highest paid player of the free agency period. Though it is certainly refreshing to see the Atlanta Spirit ownership actually take out their checkbooks, the fact is that signing Joe all but guarantees a similar good-not-great Atlanta Hawks product on the floor.

Atlanta All-Time Team (Natives) Part III

www.atlantakrunk.com — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:48:35 +0000

Point Guard: Louis Williams, South Gwinnett High School After leading South Gwinnett to a 5A state title in 2005, Williams was not only named Mr. Basketball Georgia, but also Naismith Prep Player of the Year. Williams graduated as the second all-time leading scorer in Georgia high school basketball history and would’ve taken his game to the states flagship university, the University of Georgia; however, Williams was declared ineligible prior to his freshman year. Williams declared for the NBA Draft where he was selected by the 76ers. After struggling in his rookie year, Williams has proven himself as a valuable contributor, improving in every year in the league. Still relatively young, his NBA future looks bright.Honorable Mention:Derrick Favors, South Atlanta High School The power forward had a remarkable high school career, not to mention a solid freshman year at Georgia Tech. Unfortunately, the youngster had the misfortune of being boxed out on this list by Abdur-Rahim, arguably the cities premiere high school talent of all-time.Javaris Crittenton, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy Dwight Howard’s teammate during Crittenton’s sophomore season at SWACA formed the second half of one of the greatest tandems in the history of high school basketball. Crittenton more than held his own after Howard graduated as well, receiving his own recognition as Mr. Basketball Georgia, however Louis Williams was simply more prolific and faced tougher competition on a regular basis. Crittenton spent a year at Georgia Tech, where he had a very solid freshman year, before turning pro.Matt Harpring, Marist Harpring enjoyed a serviceable career as a small forward in the NBA, likely finishing his 12-year career after an injury riddled 2009, last playing with the Utah Jazz. After graduating from Marist, Harpring went on to play his full four seasons of eligibility at Georgia Tech, where he excelled for the Yellow Jackets, earning All-ACC honors in three seasons, tied for the Yellow Jacket record with Mark Price. The Magic made Harpring the 15^th pick of the 1998 Draft, where he provided a quick return on investment, named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Atlanta All-Time Team (Natives) Part II

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:34:27 +0000

Power Forward: Shareef Abdur-Rahim , Wheeler High School The Atlanta Hawks faithful went into a frenzy when it was announced the Memphis Grizzlies would be trading their hometown hero for the rights to draft Pau Gasol. Looking back, the trade would mark the first time Billy Knight screwed the franchise (though this time from the outside, as the Grizzlies GM), however, Abdur-Rahim remains one of the most accomplished players in Atlanta high school basketball history, winning the state’s Mr. Basketball award in back-to-back years in ’94 and ’95.Small Forward: Josh Smith, McEachern High School Smith would later transfer to basketball magnet school Oak Hill Academy in Virginia for his senior season, though he remains the heart of soul of basketball and the city of Atlanta. Even hailing from Delta’s hometown the current Hawks power forward (small forward in high school) is still state’s highest flier, rejecting would be baskets while slamming the rock with authority on the other end.Shooting Guard: Dion Glover, Cedar Grove High School Glover spent time in the Atlanta area at every juncture of his career, from high school to college to the NBA. At Cedar Grove, Glover excelled as an athletic scorer, later taking his rare point scoring ability across town to Georgia Tech. At Tech, Glover had some injury problems but posted nearly 20 PPG after redshirting his freshman year. His performance was good enough to earn him a 1^st round draft slot with the Hawks. Unfortunately, Glover never found his comfort zone in the NBA regular season, though he may go down as arguably the greatest NBA Summer League player in the history of such off-season events.

Atlanta All-Time Team (Natives) Part I

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:22:51 +0000

While the Hawks have had their ups and downs as an NBA franchise, the city of Atlanta is undisputed as a hotbed for basketball talent, not to mention a popular off-season destination for basketball stars both to live and to visit. Every year, hundreds of Atlanta high school stars make their way from the Capital of the South to college basketball programs across the country, with a lucky few using their time on campus as a springboard to successful NBA careers. Atlanta’s abundance of young basketball talent has helped to keep the Georgia Tech program continuously competitive in the tough Atlantic Coastal Conference, not to mention carry the load as a recruiting base from schools across the southeast. With so many success stories, even famous names can at times be lost in the crowd, so what better than to honor the most successful Atlanta natives, as in people who began their basketball days in the metro area, to ever dribble the ball within a stone’s throw of the I-285 perimeter. Without further ado, here is the All-Time Atlanta Natives basketball roster, with a few deserving reserves (honorable mentions) thrown in just for good measure.Center: Dwight Howard, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy Though Superman’s NBA career is still relatively young, the big man from SACA is well on his way towards showing the same dominance at the professional level he dished out while in high school. Any towering athlete nearing the 7-foot border obviously presents major matchup problems at the high school level, well any level really, but playing on a Class A team was quite simply unfair for his opponents. Howard bested current Hawks reserve Randolph Morris when SACA squared on against Landmark Christian in a big man battle for the ages.