Atlanta Hawks Capsule

The only reason I can envision seeing the Atlanta Hawks moving forward is if they have a leader on the team who can step up and make big shots in the stretch during crunch time. If they do not have a go-to guy, the Hawks will lose big games down the stretch. Joe Johnson is the likely option to be the go-to guy. I think he should be the number one guy to make big shots down the stretch. If it is not Johnson, I would give the ball to Josh Smith and see how he operates with the basketball. If the Hawks keep losing basketball games, it will be because they do not have a primary offensive scorer to go to in close and tight games. I think coach Larry Drew is doing a remarkable job of keeping tabs on his players. The only way he can rein in victories for his squad is keep encouraging enthusiasm and keep telling his players not to lose hope when things get tough. The weakness with this Atlanta squad is that they fail to win basketball games when things get tough. This is how the Hawks will lose games as a team. When they fail to go through adversity as a team. As a team to win games, they need a go-to guy who will give them automatic points. It can be Joe Johnson. It can be Jamal Crawford. It can be Josh Smith. Atlanta needs to decide who is their primary scorer, who is their secondary scorer, and who is their third option to go to in scoring. This is how we can decide Atlanta is a good basketball team. Right now, they are battling with inconsistency. Time will tell if the Hawks do become a good basketball team.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The team I like to watch out for is the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have a bright and young nucleus to build around in a budding superstar in Kevin Durant and a sidekick in Jeff Green. Russell Westbrook is making a good start for being a good running mate for Kevin Durant. I think that Westbrook and Durant and Green are going to be good basketball players for the long run. They have the personnel around them to chase that elusive NBA title. They have a defensive combo guard in Thabo Sefolosha. He can make a living chasing and defending the best perimeter scorers of the world. He will be a better NBA player if Sefolosha can have a reliable jump shot or being a threat from 3-point land. Serge Ibaka can make a great perimeter big man and pivot. He can block shots and he has the athleticism and speed that most big men do not have. I like having a scorer and shooter like James Harden on the bench. His instant scoring will help the Thunder remain close in tight games. I also like Eric Maynor's demeanor when he gets to play behind Russell Westbrook. If Cole Aldrich ever gets to play, I like to see him perform. He has the potential to be a great NBA player. I also like Byron Mullens too. If these two young centers ever get to play for the Thunder, I would like to see them succeed at the NBA level as soon as possible. The sky is the limit for Mullens and Aldrich. Nick Collison makes a great backup power forward and center for the Oklahoma City Thunder. If I want to see Collison succeed, his defensive rebounding and floor leadership will help the team as much as possible.

Miami Heat

This Heat team that has Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade on it looks like a confused squad. They are trying to create a team identity, however unlikely it may seem with three mega-superstars meshing together. James and Bosh have to agree that the Miami Heat belongs to Dwyane Wade. They need to see that big picture immediately. They have to play second fiddle to Wade for the entire duration they play together, this Big Three. Lebron James and Chris Bosh look uncomfortable handling the basketball in the low post, because they are not accustomed to doing so. They are more of capable of being perimeter players. If I expect to see dramatic changes in the way the Miami Heat play, they need to realize that there is only one leader on this team and it is Dwyane Wade. Lebron James must realize that he is capable of handling the basketball and doing all the intangibles to helping this Miami Heat team win ball games. Chris Bosh must realize his limitations of playing offensive and defensive basketball. He is not going to take charge of this basketball team. That is not Chris Bosh's personality. The Heat must decide immediately that this team needs one leader and they must all follow Wade's direction the way he sees fit. James and Bosh will operate much better if Wade leads them.

New Orleans Hornets

The Hornets are off to a fast start this 2010-2011 NBA season. I wonder how fast they can keep this up under head coach Monty Williams. The head coach of the New Orleans Hornets says he has no secrets about winning. He just wants his team to play hard and defend. From the starters to the bench, they have done just that. They have a bunch of outcast NBA players such as Willie Green, Jerryd Bayless, Marcus Thornton, and Marco Belinelli running the court and Peja Stojakovic has been reduced to the bench. In his place is Trevor Ariza, newly acquired from Houston. At the 4 spot, David West is still Chris Paul's running mate. Running the pivot position is Emeka Okafor, whose defensive presence and rebounding skills are definite positive assets for the basketball team. I think the New Orleans Hornets will be the joker card this NBA season. I hope that they will give the premier NBA teams like the LA Lakers, the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, and the Orlando Magic a run for their money. I would never expect the Hornets to be this fast and quick in this November.