Atlanta Hawks Review and Information

Is Speedy Claxton a redeemer? For the Atlanta Hawks sake he better be because he's the only important addition to a turning round that went 26-56 last season. luckily, the veteran playmaker will take over at the one place the Hawks have struggle to fill under coach Mike Woodson. That's why the Atlanta Hawks team is betting Claxton can lift the Hawks out of the Eastern meeting cellar and back into playoff argument.

"We felt like we were close last year after we got going," says Hawks shooting defender Joe Johnson, who'll give up much of the ball handling duties to Claxton. "We were missing that one piece that would help us get through games late, and Speedy is the guy who's going to free the rest of us up to do what we can late in games." That sound well in theory, but few would contain pegged Claxton, a career role actor, as the Hawks' savior. Atlanta passed on chances to draft preliminary point guards the past two years, allow the likes of Raymond Felton, Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, Deron Williams and Marcus Williams to blossom somewhere else.

What is the reason? With one of the league's youngest rosters, Hawks administration opted for more seasoned point guards. Claxton, who the Atlanta Hawks gave $25 million over the next four seasons, was deadly backing up and playing next to Paul last season with the Hornets. If he plays as well as the Hawks wait for, this team could be a factor in the race for the last playoff spot. If not, the Atlanta Hawks ' draft decision will continue to haunt the franchise. Joe Johnson has proven he was value the money they paid him. He seemed to feel some force early on, but he settled down. He is an outstanding shooter for his size and is rising his other skills--handling the ball and organizatizing a team. They still will be better off having a true point protector in there more often. ...

Marvin Williams almost certainly will develop into their next top player. He was only 19 last year, but he still showed he is leaving to be able to score with his back to the storage bin and rebound. Two of their young guys who almost certainly won't work out are Josh Childress and Josh Smith. Childress is as high-quality as he is going to get. He is firm but not very athletic or quick. He is a good role player off the bench but not a starter. Smith is problem. He thinks he is better than he is, and that makes it rough on a coach. He has a bad attitude, and it shows--he has not better at all since he came into the league. Shelden Williams is leaving to fit right in there from the beginning. He is going to block shots and grab rebound, which is something they have been absent.