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Around SBN: SB Nation MMA Rankings for August 2010

Gameday Preview Charlotte Bobcats at Atlanta Hawks

Pump Up Music: Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- "Date With the Night"

The Big Picture: As I see it, in any given season, there are two, maybe three, real title contenders, five or six other teams that wouldn't surprise if they made the Finals, and one or two more teams that would be major surprises in the Finals, but it's conceivable they'd make it. I'm not sure where the Atlanta Hawks fit this year.

Star-divide

Tier 1 -- Cavs, Lakers

Tier 2 -- Spurs, Celtics, Magic, Nuggets, Mavericks

Somewhere -- Hawks

Tier 3 -- Jazz, Suns

The Bobcats are somewhere around Tier 5 with the Raptors and Bucks: fun playoff teams that the masses can support but, nonetheless, it wouldn't be a shock if they missed out. All this is to say that the Hawks' run near the start of the season is indicative of something, and they're clearly better than recent versions, but I don't think anyone's quite ready to crown them Eastern Conference contenders, especially with three other powers standing in their way.

In any event, the Cats' evisceration of the Hawks way back when isn't necessarily a great measure of how far Charlotte's come this year, because that was at the end of a long road trip, and the ATLiens probably just wanted to get home and get it over with. This game will be much more of a test.

Key to Victory: Atlanta gives up the fewest turnovers in the league, while Charlotte is a group of ballhawks that has taken to trapping regularly. It's actually kind of amazing the Hawks have been able to do that, given that they have a historically score-first point guard in Mike Bibby, and his backups are a score-first rookie and a couple score-first shooting guards.  PROTIP: It's a fantastic video game strategy to work the half-court trap, for many of the same reasons it works for the Cats. Hardly anybody does it regularly, so it's not easy to practice for, and in video game world, everyone is quick and rangy, which is the perfect type of player to run a trap. The Cats have a whole lineup of quick guys with length, from Stephen Jackson to Gerald Wallace to Boris Diaw. Force. Those. Turnovers.

Detail That May Interest .08% of You: In the movie version of Gone With the Wind, the burning of Atlanta was accomplished by burning down sets constructed for other movies. In one shot, if you know where to look, I believe you can make out a King Kong set.

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“As a rule of thumb, The Race is not a big fan of the Bobcats. Too much animus there over the years.”

Well L’O is not a big fan of The Race. Too much hater-ade there over the years.

by L'O on Jan 22, 2010 3:05 PM EST via mobile up reply actions  

Good point about video game trapping. I wish I wouldve kept NBA 2K10 :(

"It's a bad day to have a bad day" - Coach John Fox of the Carolina Panthers

by D.W.G. on Jan 22, 2010 4:24 PM EST reply actions  

I hate the Hawks almost as much as I hate the Falcons

I would really like to see another double digit Charlotte victory. The Cats have quite a few players who used to play for the Hawks. That should work in the Cats’ favor.

"I could never be a thug, they don't dress this well." - Malice

by Julius Coxswain on Jan 22, 2010 4:56 PM EST reply actions  

Acie Law, over/under 40 points tonight?

Lemonade was a popular drink and it still is.

by WhatAboutBob_cats on Jan 22, 2010 5:07 PM EST up reply actions  

If Law doesn't drop 81 tonight I will be shocked.

"I could never be a thug, they don't dress this well." - Malice

by Julius Coxswain on Jan 22, 2010 6:27 PM EST reply actions  

Law will drop 52.

He’s got a deck of cards to play solitaire with during the game, but they’re gonna fall out of his pocket

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 22, 2010 7:49 PM EST up reply actions  

Should be a great one.

All I can guarantee is that this won’t be a blowout. It’ll be interesting to see how Bob’s Cats respond on the road with renewed confidence on their hot streak. I can see them winning, and I can see them losing. Should be a great game either way.

by PanthersFTW on Jan 22, 2010 6:48 PM EST reply actions  

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