Hooped Up

The Hawks and Golden State are close to finalizing a trade that would bring Jamal Crawford to Atlanta and send Acie Law and Speedy Claxton to the Warriors, according to two different sources with knowledge of the negotiations.

Hawks general manager Rick Sund declined to comment through Hawks’ spokesman Arthur Triche.

In Crawford the Hawks would get a veteran player capable of playing both guard positions.

Crawford, 29, averaged 19.7 points, 4.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds last season, splitting his time with New York and Golden State. He also gives the Hawks insurance in the backcourt since starting point guard Mike Bibby and backup guard Flip Murray are both unrestricted free agents.

Atlanta Journal Constitution

All-Star Joe Johnson turned his right ankle on a layup attempt with 3:32 to play in the third quarter.

He limped to the bench with a severe ankle sprain and the Hawks trailing by 32 points, both of them done for the night long before the final buzzer.

While the reserves were on the court finishing the Hawks’ fifth consecutive blowout loss in this postseason — the Cavaliers’ biggest lead was 36 points — Johnson was in a wheelchair being pushed by one of the team’s doctors. They were leaving the Cavaliers’ locker room, where Johnson’s right ankle was being X-rayed.

The results were negative. And Johnson was upbeat on his way out of the building in a walking boot.

“I’ve got a boot on, but I ain’t walking out of here on crutches,” Johnson said. “I can’t see me not playing in Game 3 [Saturday at Philips Arena]. I’m looking forward to getting back out there with guys. And we’ve got 48 hours to get some treatment and try and get better, and we’ll see what happens.”

Atlanta Journal Constitution

Next year when the playoffs gear up again and they start in with their NBA playoff promos, this video of Josh Smith crowning Jermain O’Neal will have to be apart of that promo package. The NBA where getting got happens.

All at the same time, Ronald Murray decided he must break and punk the Jazz  by dunking all over the worlds best Ivan Drago and Ashton Kutcher look-alikes. I especially love how Kyle Korver runs back to “help” Andrei Kirilenko like he plays defence, just in time to get dunked on.

What the hell was Kelso thinking?

Last week, LeBron James hit a full court underhand shot and the Internet blew up with over 3 million views and counting. Joe Johnson even peeped it out, and he’s issued a new challenge for James via YouTube.  LeBron’s mission, should he choose to except, is to hit a 3 pointer from out of bounds — siting down. 

Hitting an NBA trey is hard enough standing up, but J.J. can hit them sitting down with ease. Can James do it too?

Watch and learn youngins, it’s all in the follow through!

Josh Smith and head coach Mike Woodson were at it again yesterday, and the Hawks lost their second consecutive game to a sub-.500 opponent, dropping a 98-91 decision to the Bobcats in ATL. It was during halftime of last night’s game Smith and Woodson got into another altercation and reportedly, the two had to be separated. Woodson did not play Smith for the rest of the game.

Smith refused to comment after the game, and Woodson said it was a “coach’s decision” and that Smith’s status for tonight’s game against Detroit would be determined later.

“That was coach’s call,” Hawks captain Joe Johnson said. “This is coach’s team. Whoever he wants to play plays, and if he doesn’t want you to play, you don’t play.”

Smith fought the law and Woodson won.  But in the end they both lost, and the fourth seed in the eastern conference playoffs is slipping away fast. Come on Atlanta, you’re better than that!

Via Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The latest Air Jordan commercial hit the Interweb a few days ago, and sure it has Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Joe Johnson and Richard Hamilton. But still, in my opinion Nike missed something and the talk online about it so far has been all over the place.

What do you guys think?

The competitors for this weekends all-star game of H-O-R-S-E, renamed G-E-I-C-O because insurance is required everywhere you don’t need it, are set. 

Kevin Durant, O.J. Mayo, and Joe Johnson have been selected and will shoot it out, to see who’s the best. Each player will have 24 seconds to create or re-create their shots, with an NBA referee ruling if they’re re-created correctly and dunking won’t be allowed, which was a great call by the NBA.

I’m really expecting this all-star weekend to be better than last years and this universal H-O-R-S-E contest, should crank up the level of fun the all-star weekends of past have missed.

That being said, bet the house on Joe Johnson because his accuracy for difficult shots are silly like dat!

Classic footage of what you can expect from this weekends game of H-O-R-S-E, after the jump.

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All-Star Joe Johnson missed another game Friday night against the Bobcats due to viral infection. This is what happens when your Norton Anti-Virus is not up to date. NBA GM’s take note.

Coach Mike Woodson said he was holding out hope that Johnson will be healthy enough to play Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

“He’s feeling better, but we won’t know his status until we get back (to Atlanta),” Woodson said. “He doesn’t miss too many games, so he had to be pretty sick.”

Maurice Evans got his second straight start in Johnson’s place against the Bobcats.”

USA Today

Death, Taxes and All-Star snubs. All these things can’t be avoided in life but that dosen’t mean we can’t point out were the league messed up.

Here are the Top 5: NBA All-Star Snubs of 08-09.
 

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