Toronto at Atlanta

I haven’t been this interested in the Hawks since the Spider from Split (pictured
above) was running the floor for Atlanta.

Sure, the team came out of the gate playing strong defense
last year, but this feels different. For one, the defense is better, and though
the team will miss Josh Childress, the Hawks proved late last year that they
can run a good offense when the time calls for it.

More interested in the Hawks in the first week of November
than you were during the opening round of last year’s playoffs?

You bet. The Hawks were criminally outclassed by the Celtics
last year, and only took the series to seven games because the coin landed on
"Hawks" three times in Atlanta.
That series wasn’t anywhere near as close as people credit it as being, and it
came on the heels of a three-month defensive downswing for Mike Woodson’s crew.

This year, things are different. And going up against an
equally intriguing Raptors team adds to the bit of excitement. Not even the
impending thunderstorm as predicted by Yahoo! in the game preview can
dampen my spirits.

13 games tonight, kids, so comment away as you see fit.

Atlanta Hawks: 3-0, 88.6 possessions per game
(24th-fastest in the NBA), 105.8 points scored per 100 possessions (13^th
in the NBA), 94.9 points allowed per 100 possessions (3^rd). Breakthru.

Toronto Raptors: 3-1, 88.7 possessions per
game (23^rd-fastest in the NBA), 107.4 points scored per 100
possessions (8^th), 104.2 points allowed per 100 (16^th). Spread Your Wings.

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A look around the league and the web that covers it. It’s also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren’t always listed in order of importance. That’s for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: 2DopeBoyz, via HA. Apparently, the Cavs come out of the locker room to this song by Young Chris.
PF: Inside Hoops. Adam Morrison talks about chopping off his hair and names his favorite video game.
SF: Quality Game DC. What to do with Andray Blatche?
SG: NBA FanHouse. If anyone finds a photo of Kyrylo Fesenko dressed up as Willy Wonka, e-mail me.
PG: Khandor’s Sports Blog. Team rebounding differential rankings and sharp "basketball acumen".
6th: Docksquad Sports. D-Wade lands his own Dirk-like "Where Amazing Happens" commercial.
7th: FirstCuts. Mark Price candy bars taste like hustle, conditioner and free-throws.
8th: SLAM Online. Bethlehem Shoals’ very Obama-themed Quotemonger.
9th: 48Minutes.net. Could Brandan Wright be a middle-class man’s Josh Smith?
10th: Star Tribune. "Fred Hoiberg is not ready to relinquish his nickname — ‘The Mayor’ — now that former NBA star Kevin Johnson is actually the mayor of Sacramento, California. ‘Not as long as I keep getting write-in votes,’ said Hoiberg, the former Iowa State star who got his nickname when he received a write-in vote for the mayor of Ames, Iowa."

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This shouldn’t be as fun as it is, it really shouldn’t, but I can’t stop sending Dwyer personalized voicemails from Knicks legend and current color commentator Walt Frazier. As one would expect with Clyde’s capricious vocabulary, the dropdown options are hilarious. What type of fan are they: omnipresent, prodigious or tenacious? What’s their nickname: Baldy, Meatball or Short Stack? And what’s their clothing like: chinchilla collar jacket, lavender pants or orange velvet? Anyway, check it out. I’ve got to send "Bubba" another call.

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There’s been a lot of speculation over why Carmelo Anthony shaved his braids — Communists, Chris Andersen sleepwalking with shears, a touching goodbye to good friend Allen Iverson — but the truth is it was done as part of a viral marketing campaign for NBA Live ‘09. Bananas, man. Bananas.

No word yet on whether Busta, Ludacris, Omarion, R. Kelly, Bow Wow and Lil’ Romeo also lost their locks to the quick-trigger hands of "The Wizard" Munch. I’ll keep you posted as more information surfaces.

(Many thanks to the fifteen or so bloggers and BDL readers who sent this in today. I had no idea I was supposed to care so much about ‘Melo’s hair. Just think of what’ll happen when Iverson cuts his. It’ll be anarchy! Anarchy, I tell you!)

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Look, if you’re going to touch the stanchion, touch it with your beard. Otherwise, leave it alone. I mean, it’s no wonder the Sixers shot just 38% from the field last night — Andre Miller and Samuel Dalembert were messin’ with the net’s mechanics! Best caption wins TSN2. As always, good luck.

After the jump, MJ, Spike Lee and Ahmad Rashad walk into a bar …

Winner, NativeSun:
Jordan: Seriously, you think it’s been all bad? Name them then!
Spike: Kwame Brown.
Ahmad: The Rip/Stackhouse trade.
Spike: Jarvis Hayes.
Ahmad: Adam Morrison.
Spike: DJ Augustin.
Ahmad: That blazer/mock-neck combo.
Adam Silver: That third comeback …

Runner-up, dpiston:
Spike: "I brought my TiVo remote, so I can fast foward to the good parts."

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