Super Mario Gets A Start

Mario West got his first career NBA start last night for the Atlanta Hawks in their 96-80 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. He started in place of Marvin Williams, who was out with a hip strain. Mario was given the task of guarding Buck's star Michael Redd. Coach Woodson was pleased with his play on the defensive end. He said, "I thought Mario and Joe really set the tone trying to get after their perimeter players early."

In a season high 15 minutes of action he also scored 4 points, pulled down 3 offensive rebounds, and had 1 steal. Not bad for a former Georgia Tech walk on from Douglas County.

AJC Story

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

AP Story - Washington Post

Hoops World

Canadian Press

Unknown Hawk Gets Start

Box Score

Super Mario 11 Games In

Those of you that have visited the Complex before know that we supported the Hawks keeping Mario West in the preseason (see Super Mario and The Light Bulb Has Come On).

He has seen action in 8 of the Hawks 11 games so far this season. He has provided a lot of defensive energy and last night against the Spurs even scored 5 points. When Coach Mike Woodson was asked who the toughest guy in the NBA on 790 the Zone a couple of weeks ago he said MARIO WEST. Woodson said he has never seen anybody with a motor like West in all his years in the NBA.

After fouling out of Monday nights game against San Antonio, Mario left to standing ovation after sparking a run to get the Hawks within 10 (after being down by more than 20). Greg Popovich noted that Mario changed the game a little bit.

Tonights line against the Miami Heat - 6 minutes, 2 rebounds, 1 assist.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving the picture is from the Hawks Thanksgiving dinner for kids on November 19th.

Weekend Preview 11/9-11/11

Movie

Movies
Lions for Lambs
Tom Cruise, Robert Redford, and Meryl Streep star in a movie that Fox News, you know, "fair and balanced," says could end their careers due to its extreme leftism. As they say, its a "Ticking TOM Bomb," get it? The tagline is also very creative and fresh: "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." As a bleeding heart liberal, this is sad. I'll pass.

Fred Claus
Does Vince Vaughn have a gambling problem? Why would he subject himself to this film? Looks like a decent cast, but I'm always wary of Christmas films, ever since Christmas Slay.

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead (out in Atlanta this week)
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Sidney Lumet directing. It's about 2 brothers robbing their parents. Sounds messed up, but good.

Music
Big night on Austin City Limits, as Arcade Fire performs. This is two solid weeks in a row for ACL, which is really one of the most underrated programs on television, and constantly fuels my desire to move to Austin.

Saturday Night Live this week has a musical flavor, as Jon Bon Jovi, yes JBJ himself, will be the host, and the Foo Fighters will be the musical guest. (Re-run from 10/13).

College Football
Arkansas at #24 Tennessee
Can the Vols horrible run defense shut down the nation's best player?

Illinois at #1 Ohio State
Can the Fightin' Zooks take down the Bucks?

#18 Auburn at #10 Georgia
The South's longest continual rivalry continues, with the road team being the dominant force in the series year in and year out.

Florida State at #11 Virginia Tech
We'll see if the Noles really are back this week.

NBA (Friday night)
Hawks at Celtics
The young Hawks get a huge road test, as their initial tough gauntlet continues.

Suns at Heat
The Suns should rebound against an aging Heat squad.

College Basketball
The season kicks off tonight with 10 of the top 25 in action, and 13 ACC and SEC teams in action. Check back tomorrow for summaries of the blow outs.

NFL
Lots of divisional match ups this weekend.

Dallas at NY Giants
This should be a good test for both teams. The Cowboys will need to protect Romo against a tough front four for the Giants.

Buffalo at Miami
Do the Dolphins scratch into the win column? Ms. Cleo Lemon says no.

Jacksonville at Tennessee
Take the under, even if it's 10.

Cincinnati at Baltimore
Can even Steve McNair pass against the vaunted Bengals secondary?

Stereotype Confirmation Monday courtesy of Gilbert Arenas

Gilbert Arenas keeps us thoroughly entertained here at Peter Pan Complex. He is like a 14 year old trapped in a man's body, living the life we all want to live. It's great! While reading his blog, I notice Gilbert is doing a cartoon, Gazo the Pranksta.

It looks like the characters are going to be a nerdy Asian, a Gothic white girl, a Hispanic dude, and a slacker skinny white dude. And of course Agent Zero himself with his kangaroo/possum/raccoon sidekick. Gazo's cartoon is really playing up the sterotypes.

Does it really say "Jesus" on the Hispanic dude's belt buckle?

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The Light Bulb Has Come On

It seems that after nearly 10 years the Atlanta Hawks have finally decided to use their brains. Today the team announced their 15-man roster and former Georgia Tech star Mario West has made the team! My colleague, Mr. MizzleMizzleMizzle, called for West to make the team earlier this month. I called for the team to create an uptempo style, forcing defensive pressure. These are exactly Mario's strengths. Are you lurking on our blog Coach Woodson? Show yourself man!

We here at the Complex are delighted that Mike Woodson and his coaching staff have begun to understand how to win basketball games with the right players. Mario will provide excellent athletic depth and we hope to see him matched up with the opponents' best players. Although he'll probably start the season on the inactive roster (there is a 12-man active roster, 3-man inactive), it's quite possible we'll see West use some of his defensive skills to lock up a big name guy later in the year. Again, congrats to Mario for making the team and congrats to Mike Woodson for trying to win basketball games.

Billy Knight, if you're looking for an Assistant GM, all you have to do is ask. I'll do it for half of what those other guys are making.

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2007-2008 Atlanta Hawks Preview

Alright boys and girls, it's time to answer that age old question again: Who has the biggest balls in the NBA? Simmer down Sam Cassell. You're gonna be 38 next month, so why not pass the torch to a new generation? I realize that there really aren't a lot of guys to choose from right now. But if I could just recommend someone, think about this kid from the Atlanta Hawks. His name is Acie Law The Fourth. Why does he qualify? First, his jersey says Law IV. That takes big balls right there. Need more proof? Take a look at this...and this. Those are some big balls, Sammy. I know, I know, he missed that layup in the NCAA tournament against Memphis. But that was a fluke. He's still got the goods to make you proud.

I've heard that Hawks General Manager Billy Knight loves Las Vegas (along with popcorn and the touch of a woman, but who doesn't like those things?). Those rumors must be true because he gambled with the team's future by trading a protected first round draft pick along with Boris Diaw to the Phoenix Suns for Joe Johnson. This particular pick was Top 3 protected in the 2007 draft. In the current state of the NBA, you have to be really bad to be in the Top 3, folks. Knight continued his roulette-wheel-spinning style of management by trading Al Harrington to the Indiana Pacers for a Top 10 protected draft pick. So in the middle of last season, Knight was telling us, "hey as long as the Pacers are bad, and we are worse, we might have a shot at this thing!!" By some incredible stroke of luck, the ping pong balls bounced Billy's way and the Hawks kept both picks in what most experts predict as the deepest draft in the last 10 years. Must have been all that Keno practice in Vegas.

From those ping pong balls to Acie's elephant-sized balls, things are looking up for the maligned franchise (not to mention Billy's job security). With the 3rd pick, the Hawks drafted Al Horford from the University of Florida. Why is that significant? Because UF just won back to back NCAA titles. Last year, the Gators won 35 games. The Hawks won 30...after playing twice as many games. That means Horford is used to winning, and that is exactly what the Hawks need because they haven't made the playoffs since the 1998-1999 season. Those are Mookie Blaylock years!

Horford also seems to be the most NBA ready rookie drafted. Recently he had a double-double in a preseason game and has looked very impressive in his young NBA career. Horford will immediately step in and lead this Hawks team in rebounds. Of course that shouldn't be very difficult when Josh Smith led the team last year with 8.6 rebounds a game. With Zaza Pachulia banged up with a knee injury and Shelden "The Landlord Statue" Williams standing still in the paint, Big Al should also contribute significant scoring in the post, something the Hawks have also lacked in recent years. Look for the #3 pick to average 17 pts and 10.5 rebounds per game. Horford should also bring much needed defensive aid to a thin inside platoon. The Hawks have been able to negate some of their inside weakness by playing Josh Smith at Power Forward. Because Smith is so quick off his feet and has a powerful lower body, he is able to block shots easily (2.9 blocks per game - 2nd in NBA) and can help slower defenders (see Shelden) on the weak side.

The infusion of offensive talent around the basket should result in better offensive play all around. Scoring only 93.7 points per game, the Hawks were dead last in that category in '06-'07. Defenses will have to respect the post a bit more this year, with Horford possibly commanding double teams later in the year. This will give Joe Johnson more opportunity to get to the basket on the drive, as well as from 3 pt range. Therefore, the Hawks should be able to get more passes out of the post and on drives to guards for open looks and threes, increasing their FG% and 3 pt%. Again, the Hawks were last in 3 pt% in '06-'07 with just 32.9% from beyond the arc.

Given the rookie talent and veteran playmakers, the Hawks lineup should look like this in '07-'08:

PG - Acie Law IV
SG - Joe Johnson
SF - Marvin Williams
PF - Josh Smith
C - Al Horford

Key Reserves:
PG - Anthony Johnson
G/F - Josh Childress
F/C - Zaza Pachulia
PG - Craig "Don't Call Me Speedy" Claxton
SG - Salim Stoudamire
PF - Shelden Williams
C - Lorenzen Wright
SG- Mario West

This particular starting lineup is built to be a very uptempo squad. The Hawks have enough depth and versatility to put several lineups on the floor, but this one has the most potential in my mind. The big question surrounding this team is how Coach Mike Woodson will utilize his players. Will he go with the uptempo, high scoring ability lineup? If he wants to win games, and keep his job in the process, I think he should. Because they do not have a lot of size, or a space-eating center, this Hawks team MUST push the ball up the floor and play pressure defense. With the very flexible depth the team has acquired, this is easily possible.

What could derail the luck Billy's Vegas Vacation bestowed on Hawks Nation?

Smoove's 'Tude. Smith is really the key to the success of this team. If Woodson employs a high tempo offense, J-Smoove will be the catalyst. Remember, he'll be just 22 years old in December. He has the ability to become a superstar and he is already well on his way, but his attitude and lack of leadership have derailed team chemistry and led to distractions on the court. Smoove needs to mature this year and be a leader on and off the floor. Hopefully the winning attitude brought by Horford and the gritty example Law sets will have a positive impact on Josh.

Mike Woodson. Will he adjust his coaching style to this team? If he does, I believe the Hawks will finally make the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. But Woodson has shown he prefers a half court offense and slower play. However, he has never had a capable point guard to run an uptempo offense. Finally with a decent selection of ball handlers, Woodson should put Acie up to the task of pushing tempo. If the Woodson draws it up and Law can implement the style, the Hawks will have no problem scoring points this year. Otherwise, I fear it will be another year in the perpetual rebuilding phase, and a likely end to Woodson's coaching job in Atlanta.

Marvin Williams. Hi Marvin! Remember when you were the second pick in the draft? You were the guy taken over Deron Williams and Chris Paul. Remember?! Well that was 2005, and its your third year. I know you're only 21, but come on, if I'm putting all this pressure on Smoove, it wouldn't be fair for me to ignore you. You need to shoot better than 24.4% from three and we'll allow you to continue starting over Chills.

Lack of Fan Support. Even with two very competitive, intense rookies, how will this team be motivated without a consistent fanbase? The Hawks have played in front of only a few thousand fans (sometimes a few hundred) night after night. Putting a winning team on the floor is the first step in putting people in the seats. It seems like the team is finally headed in that direction, but will the franchise be able to leverage any success the team has? Can they connect with a widespread metropolitan area? That is the challenge I have for the Atlanta Hawks front office and ultimately how the NBA will view this year's success of the Hawks.

Overall I believe this team will be markedly improved and should be able to score more efficiently while maintaining the same level of defense as last year (98.4 pts allowed per game). That should improve on their -4.7 pts per game differential (29th in the league) and lead to roughly 15 more victories. I believe this team has the talent and ability to challenge for the 7th playoff spot in the East with a record of 45-37. But do they have the coaching? For the sake of Billy Knight's gambling addiction, I hope so.

Edit: It looks like Coach Woodson is already taking my advice

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Mark Price Tribute

I would be lying if I said I don't have a slight man crush on Mark Price. I had a poster up in my room at parent's house until I got married 3 years ago. The truth is I would probably have it up in my room now if my wife would allow it. I also have the Cleveland Cavaliers jersey, Team USA jersey, and if I could find a Georgia Tech Jersey I would have that as well. That being said this video nearly brought a tear to my eye as I reminisced.

A.I.'s $2.2 Million Dump

According to the AJC Allen Iverson claims that his $2.2 million house is suburban Atlanta is so terrible that he could only live there for 60 days. He has sued the builder of the house for $6.2 million. Apparently he needs more than just the cost of the house because according to his business manager the entire situation has been very disturbing to the family. Good luck A.I. - I feel for you and your kids.

By the way I could not find a picture of all 4 of his kids, but I think these 2 are the most upset.

Gilbert Arenas is a funny man

Plays online poker during half time in the playoffs and now this. I like the fact that Gilbert has a good time while he works; but can the Wizards ever win a title (or get past the first round) while this kind of stuff is going on?

Kevin Broom's friend Jimmy went to a Wizards game, here's a little bit of what happened:

"Then Arenas pulled out the surprise gift — a massive pair of granny panties, size 10x. Upon which Jimmy had written, “My grandma loves Gilbert Arenas.” Except he drew a heart instead of writing “loves.” Jimmy even took the time to color the heart bright red.

Arenas was puzzled. As play continued on the court, he forgot about assistant coach Randy Ayers sitting right next to him. He frowned at Jimmy. Jimmy gestured that the panties were for Arenas."

Direct link: http://kevinbroom.wordpress.com/2007/10/16/gilbert-arenas-wants-your-grandmas-panties/

Super Mario

Talent in sports can be one of the hardest of entities to judge or measure. Athletes who were told, at one point or another, in their lives, that they weren't good enough seem to always rise to the top. The examples of this are endless. Michael Jordan being cut from his JV team as a 9th grader. Tom Brady lasting until the 6th round of the draft, after having to split time with uber-multi-sport-bust Drew Henson. And the latest, Mario West.

After completing his high school career at Douglas County, where he played both inside and outside in Joby Boydstone's famous "System," Mario walked on at Georgia Tech. As a part of the 2002 recruiting class that included Chris Bosh and Jarrett Jack, Mario was passed over for a scholarship for a Swede named Jim Nystrom. He redshirted his first year, and then was an active member of the team starting in the 2003-2004 season. His stats for each year were nothing spectacular, but the leadership and energy he brought to the floor were a catalyst for the Jackets. As he improved his ballhandling and outside shot, he was an invaluable member of the team.

At the completion of his senior season, he participated and won the collegiate slam dunk championships, held at the Final Four in Atlanta. His display of athleticism led to him being "drafted" by the Harlem Globetrotters (?!?!?!). This figured to be the best offer he would receive in the US to keep playing ball. How little we all knew...

During the summer, he received the "hometown" invitation to be summer league and training camp fodder for the Hawks. He played with the team in the Rocky Mountain Revue, never starting a game, averaging less than 15 minutes a game. Players that had more minutes in the summer league included legendary names like Ronnell Taylor, Devin Green, and Terrance Thomas, none of which are still with the Hawks.

As the NBA season is less than 3 weeks away, Mario is still playing big minutes in the preseason, including 20 last night, in which he scored 10 points. I understand a lot of guys ahead of him were held out, including T-Lue, Salim, Acie Law IV, the former Speedy Claxton, and J-Chill, but those are still significant minutes with solid production.

Hopefully the Hawks will do the right thing and KEEP SUPER MARIO!

Breaking News: WNBA Commeth?

Finally.

Word on the street is that Atlanta has been awarded A WNBA FRANCHISE! Sources close to the situation claim that an official announcement will come in the next few days. Hooray WNBA expansion! If you thought the Hawks played in front of hundreds, wait until you see the crowds at these games!

If this rumor is true, I couldn't be more excited, especially for Tyronn Lue, who can finally join the proper league without moving cities. In fact, Lue is probably behind the hype machine that IS the Atlanta WNBA fanbase. Oh those rabid WNBA fans! All 854 of them! I wonder how long it took T-Lue to come up with all those fake names? I'm sure it was totally fun either way!

We'll know in the next few days. Until then, I'll be waiting with anticipation over the Atlanta team name. If they want to win over the real WNBA fans (lesbians), they'll adopt the Atlanta Peacocks...or the Atlanta Strap-ons. I'm not sure which one I like best.

Weekend wrap up

-Hank and Hal Steinbrenner take over in NY

-Dusty Baker signs three year deal deal with the Reds

-Gagne loses Game 2

-NHL Week 2 recap brought to you by the guys at Pop Jocks

-8 story lines to follow going into the NBA season

-Sports Illustrated's list of the most disappointing college players this year

And I leave you with a scene from last weeks The Office episode:

Mui excitante

I have to say I'm as excited about the new blog as a 13 year old whose family will not buy beef from the store because of the hormones, and is the only one in her grade without C-cups, finally having her tatas arrive.


Here are some things I've been thinking about lately....

I think we should order this "action figure" for J-Wag. Maybe he can put it in his ass to make the sex action even hotter.

The Hawks will win 45 games and finish as the #6 seed in the east. They have the depth and talent to make a playoff push, only to lose in the first round to the Detroit Pistons.

The Thrashers will have 45 points, and finish #15 in the east. What a difference a year makes! I'm so glad I drafted Kari, he's the best.

Fantasy Football is the greatest of all the fantasy sports. No other fantasy sport can compare.

This is Phil Matthews, Peter Pan sports.