The ProView staff (still just one and counting) was going to rip the Atlanta Hawks after the no-show effort in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals.
As dreadful as it was, the team did us a favor in reality by putting itself out of its misery. That being said - having had a few days to contemplate the season - the good far outweigh the bad when it comes to this season.
How many of you had the Hawks playing in late May? Not me. Yes, the ending was awful, more so because it gave credence to all the critics who said the Hawks' style would not translate into postseason success.
I told a co-worker the other day that the worst thing that happened to the Hawks were the injuries to Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. With the "big three" in the lineup the Hawks were 3-1 against the Cavs in the regular season.
Atlanta, of course, was playing better and was healthy itself, but with Love and Irving in the lineup LeBron James was not the monster he was in the conference finals. Regular season LeBron was reluctant to take over games. Postseason LeBron had to take over and once in beast mode the depleted Hawks had no answer.
Atlanta Hawks' Kyle Korver, center, celebrates along with teammate Al Horford, right, as the Hawks beat the Washington Wizards 82-81 in Game 5 of the second round of the NBA basketball playoffs Wednesday, May 13, 2015, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) But a fluke? No way. You don't go 31-2 at any point in any NBA season and it be a fluke. That's what the team did in December and January, a run that included several signature wins.
They won consecutive road games at Cleveland, Houston and Dallas before Christmas, then, with point guard Jeff Teague sidelined with injury, the Hawks won at Portland, beat the Clippers in LA and downed Memphis at home.
Bottom line is the Hawks grew up a bit earlier than expected, and though the season ended with a thud, this is a franchise - new owners and all - that matters. Finally.
John Hart does it again
Just finished watching the Braves rally to beat the Giants Sunday and couldn't help but again be amazed at the job John Hart continues to do.
Obtaining Juan Uribe from the Dodgers for spare parts and a bucket of baseballs is his latest coup. Yes, he erred in signing Alberto Callaspo, who by all accounts was not a team player and showed up way out of shape in spring training.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Juan Uribe watches his two-run single against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Monday, April 23, 2012.But to get both the best major league player AND the best prospect in the deal was again the type of deal that helps turn a team around. Uribe immediately upgraded an awful third-base position for the team and he's great in the clubhouse.
Not only will he help the team win this year and likely next, he frees Hart up to trade Chris Johnson and rid the team of yet another over-priced veteran.
Oh, and then there's Chris Withrow, the 6-foot-4, 240-pound pitcher who also came in the deal. He's recovering from Tommy John surgery, so there is some doubt, but if he and his high-90s fastball make it back, this trade will look even better.
.500 never looked so good
With the win Sunday the Braves got back to .500 after 50 games and are only three games out of first place in the NL East.
Whether it continues or not, the early returns are optimistic. Second baseman Jace Peterson appears to be the real deal, though he's got room to improve defensively. Cameron Maybin will never be a star, but the throw-in from the Padres in the Craig Kimbrel deal is playing a great center field and he's hitting enough to make a difference.
Atlanta Braves' Jace Peterson bats in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, May 16, 2015, in Miami. The Braves defeated the Marlins 5-3.Two-thirds of the starting pitching rotation - Shelby Miller and Mike Foltynewicz - give the Braves a pair of power arms. Newcomer Williams Perez seems to know how to pitch, using an assortment of off-speed pitches and a running fastball to overcome a lack of velocity. If Julio Teheran and Alex Wood get back into form this staff could be really strong.
The great news is there's a lot more to come, and it might be soon. Outfielder Eury Perez has 29 runs scored with 25 stolen bases at Class AAA Gwinnett and could be the answer in left field.
Top prospect Jose Peraza is hitting .293 at Gwinnett and has just been moved to the outfield from second base. Mallex Smith is hitting .338 at double-A Mississippi and has 16 stolen bases and 18 RBIs.
He's likely to spend the year in the minors, but consider how much fun the Braves will be once he, Perez and Peraza reach the bigs. I like Georgia native Nick Markakis and what he brings to the team, but that future outfield would be insane (add second-baseman Peterson and that's four guys with 30-steal potential) and Markakis would likely bring the team another top prospect in a trade.
Take the Braves for what they are this year and get ready to buckle up. It's gonna be fun.