5-at-10: Good and bad news for surging Hawks, tie-breaker votes needed, soccer lawsuit for inclusion

Atlanta Hawks guard Lou Williams (6) is shown in action against the Chicago Bulls in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, May 1, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Atlanta Hawks guard Lou Williams (6) is shown in action against the Chicago Bulls in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, May 1, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Teams of the feather

OK, Mader, when you're right you're right.

Semi-regular JMader3 has for weeks been telling us about the improvements and the qualifications of the Atlanta Hawks. His points have been sound and his conclusions were undeniable last night when the Hawks trounced one of the NBA's best in a 135-103 win over the Phoenix Suns.

This is not about the breakdown of the beatdown the Hawks handed the team with the second-best record in the NBA. That can be deciphered in the box score here, as the Hawks shot 63% from the floor, 50% from 3 and 89% from the line. Yeah, you win a lot with that kind of efficiency.

(Side note: Another fun prop that FanDuel offered last night was in connection with Bill Simmons, the sports writer turned media mogul who runs the Ringer. The site offered a "Bill Simmons This is 40 NBA Super Boost" which paid +315 - bet $100 win $315 - if either the Hawks or Suns topped 40 points in any quarter. Well after 12 minutes it was Hawks 42, Suns 38 and winner, winner, let's get dinner.)

(Side question about the side note: How did it become "winner, winner, chicken dinner" because if I win money - and let's be really clear, Fast Eddie Felson is as close to all-time cinematic truth in 'The Color of Money' with his brilliant "Money won is twice as sweet as money earned" - I think I'm going bigger than chicken? I get the flow of the language and the matching syllables, so something like "Winner, winner, steak dinner" does not work as well. Suggestions?)

Anywell, where were we? That's right the Hawks.

Another interesting tidbit in the box score - and yes, it was made possible by a fourth-quarter runaway - which actually points to an eye-popping dichotomy about this Hawks bunch was that none of the 15 Hawks who played took more than 12 shots.

It seems impossible in today's NBA, especially since a) the game was relatively close for three quarters - Atlanta led by 2 half and by nine heading into the fourth - and b) the Hawks had seven players score double figures.

It's the blessing and the curse of this team that Mader has been praising for the better part of the last two months. But here's the dichotomy:

The good is, yes, the front office has assembled a roster that has multiple likable pieces and a utilitarian feel that is extremely difficult to craft in a star-driven, cap-restricted sport. John Collins does some of everything and does it everywhere on the offensive end from the post to the perimeter. Clint Cappella is one of the most underrated big men in the league. Trae Young is the best basketball player with the worst head of hair since Bill Walton was healthy in Portland. As Mader has pointed out, there are multiple trustworthy shooting options on the perimeter and they are still not 100 percent healthy.

The bad is it's impossible to see how any team with Trae Young as its best player can win it all in today's NBA.

In structure, the Hawks are constructed to be a good to very good regular-season team. Deep. Cohesive. Willing to play hard nightly. It's a formula that will produce 50 wins almost every year.

It's a formula similar in premise to what the Braves have done over the last few years. Young talent locked-up for the foreseeable future. Short contracts to free agents to fill holes. Bullpen depth.

But, just like how the Braves do not have a bona fide, top-of-the-rotation ace, the Hawks do not have a playoff bell cow. The guy that everyone knows is going to be a problem for all seven games.

(Side question, part II: Would my opinion be different if the Hawks had not dealt Luka Doni for Young and another No. 1 which became Cam Reddish? Yeah, probably.

This Hawks team is the best the franchise has offered since the Budenholzer bunch won 60 a handful or so years ago. And more than that, they are fun to watch.

And Mader, you have called it from the start, but even through your rose colored glasses, what is the realistic ceiling for these Hawks?

Getting her kicks

OK, I am going to be a bit vague here - on purpose - as we discuss an interesting wrinkle.

A Portland female soccer player is suing the National Women's Soccer League because they are refusing to let her play.

Part of the NWSL response statement reads: "The rules that govern league operations are in place to support players and team operators and ensure the NWSL remains the premier women's soccer league in the world. We will vigorously defend our league against this litigation because it seeks to change a long-standing rule and interferes with the collective bargaining process."

What if that long-standing rule was not allowing Blacks or persons from Europe or, even as the conversation has expanded to lately, transgender players?

In a professional league, mind you.

As it turns out, it's because of age, and Olivia Moultrie is 15 and wants into a league that requires players to be 18. According to the story, it's clear the young lady has some serious skills and almost assuredly was the first pick in kickball back in grade school. Wait, she's still in grade school, I suppose.

And her case clearly states that they are not suing for inclusion, just a chance. The lawsuit reads, "Ms. Moultrie does not seek an order from this Court awarding her a contract or a roster slot. Rather, she seeks removal of an unlawful barrier to her participation."

Interesting, no?

Side question: What would happen if she said in court that she identifies herself as a 20-year-old?

To the polls

OK, we need some support here. Vote in the comments and the three folks who entered certainly do not need to vote because I can assume you will vote for yourself. Polls close at 7 p.m., and there will be no third-party offerings of water or snacks. CoColas are fine. Cheese sticks too. But water? Absolutely not.

Now, each of the three folks who tied in the Derby contest with the DFL finisher of Soup and Sandwich submitted a nomination to make the Rushmore of 'Horse.'

HGLIII sent: "The Kentucky Derby Contest would be "just horsing around" by some."

Justin S. sent: "The old-school game of H-O-R-S-E, and I will beat you at it every time." (Side note: Uh, no, you will not.)

Will C. sent: "Rusty, the horse Kramer fed Beef-a-reeno."

So good folks of 5-at-10landia, what say you?

(And unlike the Austin, Texas leadership, if we call for a vote around these parts, that vote will stand.)

This and that

- Wow, lots to get to today, huh? Here's the most direct discussion of the growing unrest in professional golf as the PGA Tour and the European Tour look to fight off the new golf circuit, which certainly sounds like it has a supporter in one Phil Mickelson.

- At around the midway point of the guest-host rotation to replace Alex Trebek on Jeopardy!, here are the Neilsen numbers. Ken Jennings had the best ratings, but it also was right after Trebek died. Aaron Rodgers is third to date. Last? Anderson Cooper.

- So White Sox manager Tony LaRussa admitted to not knowing the details of the extra-inning rule that may have in some ways contributed to Wednesday's 1-0 loss to the Reds. In truth, I was unfamiliar with it too, but then again, I'm not making millions to manage a big-league club either. And that no one on the bench knew it is a) an incredible failure that could/should be fireable, b) a testament to the wackiness of the wacky extra-inning rule, of c) A and B.

- Speaking of gambling and the Suns, well, there was a little history made Tuesday night. In arguably the worst gambling beat in NBA history, the Suns covered as 12.5-point favorites over Cleveland with a 134-118 win. I know what you're thinking: "Hey, Fat Face, there Suns were 46-18 before that game and the Cavs were 21-44. How's that a bad beat?" First, it's Mr. Fat Face if you're nasty. And second the Suns covered the 12.5 in overtime. Yep, a 20-4 overtime period turned a 114-114 tie into the largest overtime cover since records like these have been kept.

- Speaking of the Hawks and gambling, some bettor in Colorado put $20,000 on Atlanta to win the East at 40-to-1 and another $20K Atlanta to win the NBA title at 100-to-1. If the Hawks get to the Finals, that ticket would be worth $820,000 and if they win it all, it would pay another $2.02 million. Mader, do you live in Colorado?

- You know the rules. Here's Paschall on another UT football player coming through the portal. Apparently the portal is kind of Old Testament and it giveth and it taketh away.

- Speaking of Paschall, here's his story on the Lookouts successful opening against the Trash Pandas and the debut of Hunter Greene, who is throwing some for real heat. Wow. How serious? Well, according to the staidium's TrackMan device, 37 of Greene's 43 fastballs topped 100 mph. Again, wow.

- Braves played. Braves won. Braves hit a grand slam. Again. Marcel Ozuna hit Atlanta's third salami in four games. (Side question: Salami for a grand slam, friend or foe? The more I look back at that, the more I'm leaning foe.)

Today's questions

On an anything goes Thursday, we'll start this way.

What's the best slang term for a grand slam?

If Hunter Greene has a sibling, should he or she be named Kelly Greene?

Is agism as big as the other isms?

As for today, May 6, let's review.

Hey, George Clooney is 60 today. Does he even have a legit Rushmore?

It's also the National Day of Prayer.

So let's go with the Rushmore of 'Prayer' and be creative. And remember to vote and remember the mailbag.

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