Enemy Lines An Opposing Team's Scout Sizes Up The Hawks

At least with Glenn Robinson gone to the 76ers they won't have to deal with his negativity after losses. But the guy they'll miss more than Big Dog is Ira Newble [now with the Cavaliers], who at least tried to shut down his man one-on-one....

Shareef Abdur-Rahim had back surgery over the summer, but even when he gets in shape he'll get you only so many wins. He's not a big fourth-quarter scorer, he moves more like a center than a power forward and down the stretch he doesn't make the right reads defensively. He freezes and lets the back door slip open, or he doesn't chase a rebound, or he misses a rotation. He's a terrific guy, but you just can't depend on him....

Theo Ratliff came back from two years of injuries to lead the league in blocks, but that number isn't so impressive on a losing team—so many guys were driving free and clear to the basket that he couldn't help but block some of those shots....

I'm guessing Terry Stotts will use the old Seattle traps and junk defenses; the last thing he wants is teams executing half-court sets and exposing his bad defenders. Terry is more structured than his predecessor, Lon Kruger, and he can teach NBA fundamentals. They went 24-31 after he took over last year, but he has little to work with. They didn't make any big personnel moves during the summer because they were waiting for the team to be sold....

Jason Terry isn't a true point guard. They need another playmaker to move the ball and create shots. Maybe they can get that from Boris Diaw, the rookie from France, but that's asking a lot of the 21st pick....

The Hawks will have to take advantage of the nights when opponents are unprepared and won't have their legs because they have been out to the strip clubs the night before. That's probably going to be Atlanta's best defense: the strip club trap.