Is The First Round Just A Formality? Jameer Nelson Thinks So
by Kris Willis on Apr 11, 2011 9:01 AM EDT
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"I'll see you in the second round,"
That was reportedly what Jameer Nelson told Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose minutes after the Magic's 102-99 loss to the Bulls on Sunday. There is just one problem with that, the Magic face the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. The same Hawks that have beaten them 3-1 in the regular season series. Does that mean anything to Orlando? Apparently not. Should it?
If you watched Atlanta play in Indiana and Washington over the weekend then you probably agree with Nelson. However, for a team like the Hawks that at times lacks motivation, Nelson's comments couldn't have come at a better time. If going to the playoffs weren't motivation enough maybe the complete dismissal by the Magic will be sufficient. Who can really blame Orlando, after all it was at the hands of the Magic that Atlanta was humiliated in the second round last year. Over the weekend Orlando lost a tough nail biter to Chicago, Atlanta lost by 30 points to Washington. However, if the Hawks 3-1 record against the Magic doesn't count come playoff time then neither does this past weekend.
See you in the first round Jameer. Go Hawks!
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I do think you can’t read too much into regular season series success vs an opponent you face in the playoffs. Wasn’t Nelson out for 2 of those games the Hawks won? And one of them was the day after their big trade? Certainly it can’t hurt having this up on the bulletin to motivate the Hawks to bring the “effort” and “urgency.”
The regular season matters....
If it didn’t matter, we wouldn’t play them. They have the same players in the playoffs as the regular season, so what are they really going to do differently in the post season?
This series is about the Hawks and whether they are mentally tough enough to beat them, because we have the better players.
+1
Top to bottom, we have the better team, it’s our series to lose. The players should look at this post and remember last year’s series and come into this playoffs looking to have no mercy on the Magics. Let’s just pray that it happens……GO HAWKS!
"Parfaits might be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet"
by Anonymous HawksGuy on Apr 11, 2011 10:13 AM EDT up reply actions
you are absolutely correct
we have better players than MANY playoff teams…..the question is: why is their records better than ours?
Fooling yourselves
We don’t have the better players or coaches. They actually didn’t have the same players in the regular season throughout (neither have we), so what they are going to do is scout Jason Collins and come up with a gameplan without any back to backs or what not to worry about and play with the heart we can’t seem to come up with when challenged.
Hawk Str8Talk
by Hawk Str8Talk on Apr 11, 2011 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Agree to disagree
So you mean to tell me outside of D. Howard and Jameer, Orlando’s players are better than the the Hawks??? I mean I understand you’re a Hawks hater, but be realistic if you’re going to hate!!
"Parfaits might be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet"
by Anonymous HawksGuy on Apr 12, 2011 8:49 AM EDT up reply actions
yes
I’m saying top to bottom, they are better than us. I’m not a hater at all – a realist is all I am. They are better at center, small forward, and point guard. Their bench is better than ours. So, what else do you want me to say about it? Do we have some good players? Sure. Are we better than the Magic? Nope.
Hawk Str8Talk
by Hawk Str8Talk on Apr 12, 2011 9:34 AM EDT up reply actions
you're entitled to your opinion
so i’ll leave it at that. It funny how the Hawks are supposedly “worse” than the Magic, yet we beat them 3 out of 4 times this year (should have been 4). You’re only a realist when it comes to your pessimism about this team….which doesn’t make you a realist at all. But again, you’re entitled to your opinion….
"Parfaits might be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet"
by Anonymous HawksGuy on Apr 12, 2011 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Fair enough
so, we were better than the Celtics last year when we swept them. Were we equal to the Lakers the 5 straight years that we split the season series with them? Be careful thinking that regular season victories portend to future success. And you’re right it’s my opinion and we’ll see how it all shakes out in just a week, then you can tell me how wrong I am. I’d welcome it…
Hawk Str8Talk
by Hawk Str8Talk on Apr 12, 2011 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions
The NBA is all about matchups
Last year, if we would have played the Celtics in the playoffs, I would have liked our chances instead of playing the Magics, which dominated us last year. The only thing that changes in the playoffs in intensity. Depending on which Hawks team comes to play, I like our chances against the Magic than any other team in the East. I’m not out to prove you wrong just to say “I win”, moreso of hope that the Hawks prove you wrong so they can move forward in the playoffs. This just makes for a healthy debate…
"Parfaits might be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet"
by Anonymous HawksGuy on Apr 13, 2011 8:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Cool
I don’t take this stuff personally and I’m not dishing it with a aha behind it. The sentence that starts ‘depending on which Hawks team comes to play’ is the thing that gives me all the pause in the world to say that I have no faith in that kind of team. I don’t know of the team that limped through 2 months of basketball, then turned it on and beat a team. That 3 – 1 vs. the Magic is fool’s good. Anyway, we’ll see what we can see.
Hawk Str8Talk
by Hawk Str8Talk on Apr 13, 2011 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Still fool's gold?
I still don’t see how you could possibly see that Orlando has a better team than the Hawks top to bottom. Maybe your hate for the team has blinded you of the talent this team has. As I stated before, the NBA is all about matchups and we match up very well with Orlando and are proving exactly as I stated that this Hawks team is MUCH better than Orlando.
What happened to the Hawks around the end of the regular season was fool’s gold, as the Hawks knew that people would write them off after losing 6 straight to end the season. Why would they care about those 6 games if they had already locked in the number 5 spot? So I commend the Hawks for playing chess instead of checkers with everyone, proving that they are better than their record.
This team has had some ups and downs in the playoffs thus far, but they are doing what it takes to win and are buying into the gameplan Coach Drew is selling, and as Woody would say, "THE SH*T WORKS!
"Parfaits might be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet"
by Anonymous HawksGuy on Apr 25, 2011 9:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Sometimes things are better not said
Regardless of past history, whether recent history this year, or last couple years, if I were Jameer i would shut the heck up, and not give fuel to fire.
As a Hawks fan, I am glad he is disrespecting us. We need the motivation, and if Hawks haven’t figured out that they are disrespected across the league, may be this is a wake-up call. So what do you do about it?
And by the way, Jameer, this is not your daddy’s Hawks (read Kirk and Teague as opposed to Bibby) and you have no Barnes, no Gortat, no Rashard Lewis, no Vince. You may still win, but it won’t be easy.
Meh...
I agree with Jameer. I want to disagree, but I can’t. Any team that can’t motivate itself on a nightly basis, and, instead, needs bulletin board fodder from an okay PG to motivate them, can’t win in the playoffs. Period.
Personally, I think the Hawks have the talent to beat any team in the league in the playoffs—yes, any team. Unfortunately, they have possessed this ability for a while now. Why are they suddenly going to be able to turn on the switch? Because Nelson said he’ll see the Bulls in Round 2? Didn’t Rose publicly state he was going to avenge himself from that horrid blown game against the Hawks earlier in the year and then come into our house and trash us? Why couldn’t that motivate us?
I think we’ll put up more of a fight, and even win a game or two, but if I’m betting on this series, I’m all in with the Magic…
I am bi-winning. I win not only here but also there.
If I were betting I also bet on Orlando
But the point is Jameer should not provide bulletin material to any one.
Is he confident? Probably. Is muscleman confident? For sure if you look at comments he makes even after he loses to Hawks.
But the facts don’t change. Orlando is not the same team that crushed Hawks last year during the year and in the playoffs.
I could make an argument that Hawks should have even won the first game vs. Orlando this year, if only not for bad coaching by LD and his staying with the bench too long. So Hawks could be 4-0.
Last year, the games in regular season vs. Orlando were not competitive except for last game and first half of first game. And we all know what happened in playoffs. This year all games been competitive in regular season.
All to say, this is not the same Orlando team, you can not connect what happened in last year’s playoffs for a Dominant Orlando team, to a totally remade team.
Yes I may bet on Orlando, but I would say Hawks have a decent chance of winning the series, and the comment by Jameer (which by the way he fully knew what he was saying, I don’t buy the in the heat of battle thing for one second) will help the Hawks.
Fair enough...
I want the Hawks to win the whole darn thing, so I hope we shut Nelson (and then Rose) up…
I am bi-winning. I win not only here but also there.
thing is
we have NEVER stepped up when a team has challenged us. Teams who challenge other teams KNOW they have to bring their A game and feel confident that if they do so, it’s no contest. that’s how bad the rep is on the Hawks right now. Shoot, I want to have confidence, but the evidence is overwhelming with regards to why we shouldn’t have any. So, I’m going to go and cheer, but I am not going to be blind about it. I would only put my money on this team vs. the Pacers and that’s stretching it. I wouldn’t bet on them beating any other team 4 times in the East or West.
Hawk Str8Talk
by Hawk Str8Talk on Apr 11, 2011 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Atlanta will win a championship....someday
by maxxj3 on Apr 11, 2011 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
its sad how we hawks fan have no confidence
but the organization doesnt help at all……..i want the hawks to win it all …..but honestly if i were betting money……………………….smdh
I know...
Atlanta is a great NBA town and has great NBA fans. I hate the negativity, and at least with the Thrashers, the rumors of our teams bolting from Atlanta. This city deserves better…
The Hawks are so darn close it hurts (unlike the Thrashers…), but, alas, I will watch the playoffs without much confidence that I will give a dang what happens by Round 2…Bah humbug.
I am bi-winning. I win not only here but also there.
Uh, we're not close
The Hawks are a center, point guard, bench, coach, and some leadership and heart away from a title. That’s not close.
Hawk Str8Talk
by Hawk Str8Talk on Apr 11, 2011 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't see it as a dis to Atlanta
That is a guy who lost a tough game in the heat of battle. We have an upcoming game against the Heat. I would love for a Hawk to tell LeBron we will see you again in the playoffs during or after the regular season game. Have that confidence.
by xavip on Apr 11, 2011 11:15 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
I really wanted to boycott Hawk sites after this weekend but oh well. It’s weird I saw Half Nelson speak to Rose while he was with Lisa Salters after his shot didn’t count, but I didn’t make out if he said that.
The team color should be just yellow, to match the personalities.
Why would you boycott Hawk sites?
The blog sites are independent from the Hawks, so tis is the place you should want to be after the Hawks lose by 30+ to one of the worst teams in the league.
"You could spend the next fifteen seconds of your life watching a man and a tiger scream together, or you could be an idiot."
Fact.
but it kind of seems like our team could care less about league perception
i think joe johnson’s attitude has been rubbing off on em. His lackadaisical attitude is too strong for the horford effect to work….
I think the Hawks have one goal this year, to beat the Magic.
They have not taken off a single against them this year.
Last year the Magic were better than us...This year they are not.
They can make any excuse they want, but they tried to win the last game we played and LOST
The Hawks can’t beat their way out of a mime’s imaginary box! If you think last years series was one-sided, wait til you see this year’s smackdown!
Orlando isn't going to beat the Hawks by 40+
At Howard’s rate, he’ll be lucky to even play if he can’t get his emotions in check.
"You could spend the next fifteen seconds of your life watching a man and a tiger scream together, or you could be an idiot."
Fact.
Fighting sarcasm with sarcasm
But, you guys have to admit he’s been a little on edge about those 10-sec calls at the line lately. Hey, forget the fact that D getting 7 T’s would get him a game for a minute. I would pay double the ticket prices to see that if he somehow pulled that off. Just think how reackless and hilarious that would be.
Seriously though, do you think that all of these recent tech’s are going to affect him any? I’d say the last we played the early foul trouble definitely kept him subdued for the second half. It wouldn’t be a huge leap to think that the tech’s are going to be in the back of his mind.
"You could spend the next fifteen seconds of your life watching a man and a tiger scream together, or you could be an idiot."
Fact.
I don't think the technicals affected how he plays at all. He gets the worst tech calls in the league so he knows the refs single him out.
There is not a chance in hell he will be suspended for any amount of games in the playoffs due to technical fouls.
Orlando troll just providing his point of view....
I don’t think Jameer was disrespecting the Hawks.
1. He was talking to Derrick Rose who just beat the Magic in a really close game. Jameer’s competitive nature urged him to say, “We’ll get you back!”
2. He’s confident that the Magic will make it to the second round. I hope every team in the playoffs believes they can win the championship (whether that’s really realistic or not).
3. I don’t think Jameer meant for it to be broadcast. It wasn’t a message for the Hawks, and it wasn’t a public statement made on the record to the media.
4. If anybody should take that comment personally, it’s the Pacers….
You guys have a really good team. I don’t think what happened last year in the playoffs was a reflection of the quality of your team.
Good luck in the playoffs, but we still plan on seeing the Bulls (or the Pacers!) in the second round.
That's not being a troll
And I agree 100% with this. Context leads to clarity. However, I have absolutely no problem with the Hawks players using it as motivation. The thought that the players shouldn’t need motivation is somewhat niave imo because we all need motivation from time to time to keep doing our thing, be it a potential promotion or raise, or just public acknoledgement within the company. Sometimes being told you can’t or you won’t is all that is needed to hit that next level.
I think most of us here would agree that the team could use some motivation lately. That’s something that has seemed extremely lacking throughout the season as a whole, much less right now heading into the playoffs.
"You could spend the next fifteen seconds of your life watching a man and a tiger scream together, or you could be an idiot."
Fact.
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