A Look At The Second Half Of The Season For The Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks are about to start the second half of the regular season and there are many things to look forward to. Among them are the trade deadline and the push for home court advantage in the playoffs.

Rumors are swirling about Atlanta trading hometown favorite Josh Smith. Smith was snubbed out of the NBA All star Game even though he averaged 17 points and 8 rebounds per game. He has many off-nights but he will have to bring the energy and intensity every game if he wants to make a run with the Hawks in the playoffs and remain in Atlanta. The trade deadline is February 21st and we will see if the Hawks will accept any teams' offers for Smith or if they will stay content and decide to negotiate with him on a new contract before free agency this summer.

Hawks' Forward Josh Smith

The Hawks are currently the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. They started the New Year at 20-10 and are now 29-22 at the all star break. Atlanta lost shooting guard Lou Williams for the rest of the season due to a knee injury suffered against the Brooklyn Nets in January. The Hawks won two games in a row with wins against Dallas and Orlando before the all star break with clutch shooting from players such as Kyle Korver, Anthony Tolliver, and DeShawn Stevenson. Atlanta will look to seek more contributions from these role players. Point guard Devin Harris has been in a slump lately but will look to regain his shooting stroke in the second half of the season.

The Eastern Conference is in such a tight race heading into the playoffs. If teams such as the Nets or Pacers lose in one night, it helps teams like the Hawks, Bulls or Celtics make a quick leap in the standings. Atlanta has to play smart basketball and beat some of these contenders.

Aside from Josh Smith, point guard Jeff Teague has to take a high leadership role and have control over this team. He has to make smart decisions and not make costly turnovers. The Hawks drafted Teague in 2009 to be the point guard that they've been desperately looking for to build around.

Hawks' Center Al Horford

Two-time all star Al Horford has to control the paint. Offensive rebounding has been a problem for Atlanta in many games and if Horford crashes the boards every single game, the Hawks can be dangerous. This also applies to big men Zaza Pachulia and Ivan Johnson who give Atlanta good contributions with their scoring and rebounds off the bench.

The Hawks hold their own fate. The Eastern Conference is competitive with many teams who can do damage in the playoffs such as the defending champion Miami Heat and teams under the radar such as the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers. Atlanta has to stay healthy and head coach Larry Drew has to instill a winning mentality to the team. We will see how the second half turns out for these rising Atlanta Hawks.-Yuriy A.

Atlanta Falcons Season Review

It was a wild year for the Atlanta Falcons. They had a 13-3 regular season record and an amazing run but ended in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. From all of their fourth quarter comeback wins to their playoff win against Seattle, it was an exciting season.

Falcons' QB Matt Ryan

The Falcons had a lot of pressure on them heading into training camp. The critics constantly bashed them by saying that they couldn't win a playoff game. This is mainly due to the Falcons' high quality performance in the regular season but not in the playoffs. Atlanta wanted to get their first playoff win since 2004 and achieve higher aspirations.

The Falcons surprised everybody and started the season 8-0. Their first loss came against the rival New Orleans Saints in the Super Dome. Atlanta had many opportunities to get into the end zone in the second half but just couldn't capitalize. The Falcons then went 2-2 in their last four regular season games. Another key victory was on December 16th against the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. Atlanta won in a blowout, 34-0.

QB Matt Ryan had an outstanding season. He threw for 4,719 yards and 32 touchdown passes. RB Michael Turner scored 10 touchdowns despite not reaching the 1,000 yard mark. The WR tandem of Julio Jones and Roddy White had a phenomenal year. Jones had 79 catches for 1,198 yards with 10 touchdown catches and made his first Pro Bowl. White had 92 catches for 1,351 yards and seven touchdown catches.

Matt Ryan was always clutch in the fourth quarter. He has 16 career fourth quarter comebacks and 23 game winning drives. No matter how much time was left on the clock, he got his team down the field quickly and always got into the end zone or had help from kicker Matt Bryant to kick the game winning field goal.

WRs Julio Jones and Roddy White

LB Stephen Nicolas was the leading tackler with 97 and Thomad DeCoud had a team high six interceptions. The defense had a great regular season despite losing Brent Grimes for most of the season.

The Falcons will also try to convince hall of fame TE Tony Gonzalez not to retire. Gonzalez had 93 catches for 930 yards and eight touchdowns this season. He also made his 13th Pro Bowl appearance. Gonzalez holds the records for TD receptions (107) and total receiving yards (14,268) by a tight end.

It will be an interesting offseason for Atlanta. They can put the right pieces together from the draft and free agency to get over the playoff hump and make the Super Bowl. The Falcons will have to get through contenders such as San Francisco and Green Bay if they want to hoist a Lombardi Trophy.

It was a fun season and I enjoyed covering the Atlanta Falcons. I will also cover their free agency and what they do on draft night. So until then, Rise Up Atlanta!!!-Yuriy A.

Lou Williams Out For The Rest Of The Season With Torn ACL

The Atlanta Hawks face a devastating blow to their team. Starting SG Lou Williams suffered a torn ACL in the Hawks' game on January 18th in Brooklyn against the Nets and will be done for the rest of the season. Atlanta faced a similar situation last January when center Al Horford tore his left pectoral muscle which required surgery.

Hawks' SG Lou Williams tore his ACL in a loss at Brooklyn

Lou Williams has been a huge contributor for the Hawks this season as he was acquired from Philadelphia in free agency last summer. Williams was Atlanta's sixth man but made the transition into the starting lineup. The Hawks have used many different starting lineups this season but saw that Lou Williams brings the energy to the team and can have a huge game on any given night. Williams has been a huge factor in many of Atlanta's fourth quarter comebacks.

Although this may be a huge loss for Atlanta, they may be able to handle this situation well. As I pointed out, they lost Horford for the second half of the season in 2012 but they still performed well and skyrocketed with huge momentum heading into the playoffs. Horford returned to play two games for Atlanta but lost in the first round to the Boston Celtics.

Losing Williams for the rest of the season leaves a huge hole to fill in the starting lineup but the Hawks have key players and many guards who can fill Williams' role such as Devin Harris, Kyle Korver and rookie John Jenkins. Williams may be gone but the Hawks still have key players in their starting lineup such as Josh Smith, Al Horford and Jeff Teague.

With Lou Williams being gone, many Hawks fans may start to panic. With the talent on this team, Atlanta can still be a threat in the Eastern conference. With great sharpshooters like Kyle Korver and John Jenkins and players who dominate the paint such as Josh Smith and Al Horford, the Hawks can beat anybody on any given night. Keep your heads up, Atlanta. Until next time, GO HAWKS!!!-Yuriy A.

Georgia Defeats Nebraska in Capital One Bowl, 45-31

UGA QB Aaron Murray

The Georgia Bulldogs came out strong after a heartbreaking loss to Alabama in the SEC championship game last month.  UGA QB Aaron Murray had a phenomenal game in what may be his last game at the University of Georgia.

Aaron Murray went 18/33 for 427 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. WR Chris Conley had two catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Senior WR Tavarres King had three catches for 104 yards and one touchdown. RB Todd Gurley had 23 carries for 125 yards and one touchdown. The offense had 589 yards in total offense.

Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez went 16/27 for 204 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. RB Rex Burkhead had 24 carries for 140 yards and one touchdown. He also had four catches for 39 yards and one touchdown. The Bulldogs completely shut down Nebraska's wide receivers as none of them caught at least 50 yards.

Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez

Georgia fought hard and was motivated after they felt that they deserved a better bowl game. They were five yards short away from beating Alabama in the SEC championship game and were heart broken after not being able to go to the national championship. They finished 12-2 and head coach Mark Richt will have many spots to fill after losing key players to the NFL. Among them are All-American linebacker Jarvis Jones, Alec Ogletree, and WR Tavarres King.

After the South Carolina game in mid-October, everybody wrote Georgia off. The Bulldogs proved the critics wrong and won the rest of their games and one of them included a win over the #2 ranked Florida Gators. Some of the challenges of next season will be facing Clemson in the opening game, LSU, and South Carolina. This team proved that they're championship ready and will still be a contender. Everybody in Athens will be praying that Aaron Murray stays at UGA for one more year.

I appreciate the support from all of you on viewing my blogs and watching me cover the Georgia Bulldogs throughout this year. Hopefully more improvements will be made with the team and they will have bigger championship opportunities next year. So until next time, GO DAWGS-Yuriy A.

Falcons Defeat Bucs 24-23, Improve to 10-1

It was a competitive game for the Atlanta Falcons from the opening kickoff to the final play of the game. Their division rival, the Tampa Bay Buccaners came into the game at 6-4. The Bucs were looking to upset the Falcons but fell short in their push for the playoffs.

Falcons' QB Matt Ryan

Falcons QB Matt Ryan went 26/32 for 353 yards with one touchdown and one interception. WR Julio Jones had a career day as he caught six passes for 147 yards and one touchdown. He was questionable with an injury heading into this game. Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez each added five receptions. RB Michael Turner had another off game with 10 rushes for a dismal 17 yards. RB JaQuizz Rodgers got into the game often as he had 10 carries for 49 yards and one touchdown. He knows how to be a playmaker and gain the right amount of yardage during crucial points of games.

Like Julio Jones, Sean Weatherspoon and Asante Samuel were both questionable heading into this game with injuries. Nonetheless, they played and gave everything they had. Samuel left the game at times with a hand injury but his toughness brought him back in the game. Weatherspoon had six tackles, one of which was for a loss. CB Daunta Robinson had six tackles and one sack.

Tampa Bay QB Josh Freeman went 19/30 for 256 yards and no touchdown passes. WR Vincent Jackson caught five passes for 96 yards. Rookie sensation RB Doug Martin had 21 rushing attempts for 50 yards and two touchdowns.

Bucs' RB Doug Martin

Atlanta finishes another game with a hard fought victory. They look to seal the NFC South when they face the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night football. The Saints handed the Falcons their only loss of the season two weeks ago. Atlanta looks to impress the nation under the spotlight and continue to prove why they're a Super Bowl contender. Thank you for tuning in once again and continue to look for more blogs analyzing the Falcons. So until then, RISE UP ATLANTA!!!-Yuriy A.

Georgia Shuts Out Auburn 38-0, Clinches SEC East

The Georgia Bulldogs came into Auburn looking to clinch the SEC East and a trip to the SEC Championship game in Atlanta. They had no problem accomplishing this mission. The Bulldogs came out fired up from the start of the game and didn't let the Tigers go anywhere.

QB Aaron Murray & RB Todd Gurley celebrating

UGA QB Aaron Murray had another great game. He went 18/24 for 204 yards and three touchdown passes. Tavarres King, Malcolm Mitchell, and Chris Conley made up those three scores. The freshman RB duo of Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall both had fantastic games. Gurley had 11 carries for 116 yards and one touchdown. Marshall had eight carries for 105 yards and one touchdown also. The Bulldogs had 497 yards in total offense.

The Bulldogs' defense took care of business yet again, All-American and NFL-projected first round pick Jarvis Jones got into the backfield at will and always got to the ball. Safety Baccari Rambo had an interception. The defense also recovered a fumble.

Auburn QB Jonathan Wallace went 15/22 for 181 yards and one interception. Georgia completely shut Auburn's run game down as RB Tre Mason had 11 attempts for only 33 yards. The offense had a dismal 3-11 third down efficiency. They had two turnovers and only had 238 yards in total offense.

RB Keith Marshall running downfield on the Auburn defense

Georgia now awaits the winner of the SEC West. It will be either LSU or Alabama. It will be interesting now after Texas A&M's upset of Alabama on Saturday. Last year Georgia was in the SEC Championship game but got blown out by LSU after a fantastic first half. The Dawgs look to learn from those past mistakes and apply those to do anything necessary to win the SEC Championship and keep their national championship hopes alive. Georgia improves to 9-1 and will face Georgia Southern next week. This is a time where the Bulldogs cannot afford to make any mistakes in these last regular season games. They control their own destiny. Hopefully Georgia can raise the SEC Championship trophy high in Atlanta and do the same thing in Miami in the national championship game. Tune into my blog next week. So until next week, GO DAWGS!!!-Yuriy A.

Hawks Upset Thunder In Oklahoma City, 104-95

The Atlanta Hawks came into Oklahoma City looking to bounce back after losing their season opener at home to the Houston Rockets. They did just that. The Hawks didn't have Josh Smith playing because of an injured ankle. This did not stop Atlanta from playing with heart and showing everybody that they can compete with anybody in the NBA. This is the second time the Hawks beat Oklahoma City in the year of 2012. They pulled out a win against the Thunder in March at Philips Arena.

Al Horford helped propel the Hawks to an upset win over OKC

Al Horford had the big game for Atlanta as he had 23 points and 12 rebounds. He also added three assists, one steal and one blocked shot. PG Jeff Teague had 16 points and Lou Williams scored 19 points off the bench. Atlanta has a wide variety of go-to shooters and anybody can be the hero for the Hawks on any given night.

For the Thunder, Kevin Martin was the leading scorer with 28 points off the bench. Three time NBA leading scorer Kevin Durant had 22 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. PG Russell Westbrook had an off-night with 14 points on 5-18 shooting.

I think that Oklahoma City is vulnerable as the result of them trading reigning Sixth Man of the Year James Harden to the Houston Rockets. Kevin Martin could be a good asset to the team but may not bring the same game that Harden did to the Thunder. I think Harden should of been a starter in OKC. He is now demonstrating that in Houston.

PG Jeff Teague drives aggressively to the basket

As far as the Hawks go, this team looks promising. They bring energy every night and have the attitude of a contender. Josh Smith will continue to display his leadership when he returns from his injury and the clutch sharpshooting from players like Anthony Morrow, DeShawn Stevenson, and Lou Williams will help Atlanta win in late game situations.

The Hawks play the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, another contender in the Eastern Conference. They will face all-stars David Granger and David West. Indiana gave the Hawks some problems last season. We will see how the new-look Hawks stack up against them. Keep on tuning in to my Hawks blogs as I cover them all season. Get excited Atlanta, it's going to be a great year.-Yuriy A.