Lang Whitaker is many things - executive editor of Slam Magazine, a columnist for SI.com, and most importantly, a die-hard Hawks fan. For 2007-08 , Lang will be sharing his thoughts on the team in an exclusive column for Hawks.com. Check back every Wednesday throughout the season to read his latest musings, and read him every day at www.SLAMonline.com

"It's Billy's Call"
by Lang Whitaker

OK, so we got a point guard. Now we just need a three-point specialist, a bruiser, a back-up point guard and maybe two more big men and we're set!

In trading for Mike Bibby, Hawks GM Billy Knight not only got us the point guard we've desperately needed for so long, but he also generated some great expectations. Not having a point guard for the last few years had been giving us an excuse. The offense isn't clicking? We're not pushing the ball enough in transition? Well, you know, we don't really have a point guard, so…

But now that excuse is dunzo. We have a point guard now. Also, we have a solid (if a little thin) collection of players in our rotation, we have a great arena right downtown, we have a beat writer who cares, we have 849 owners who actually come to games and cheer for the team and we have a city full of fans who love to support a winner.

We've got a lot going for us. What we don't have is wins. For all the talk about this was going to be our year, how the team slogan should be Playoffs or bust, the Hawks are now 10 games under .500 and, if the Playoffs started today, the Hawks would be at home watching on TNT (in HD, preferably).

Now, of all the things I mentioned that we have going for us, I did not mention anything regarding our coaching, because that's the one area of the franchise that hasn't changed the last three years. Mike Woodson and his staff have been installed and left alone to grow and develop, both the players and themselves. Whether they've accomplished this goal is debatable to us fans.

Then again, our opinion doesn't really matter. The man in charge of all this stuff is Billy Knight. If, for whatever reason, Billy Knight decided that trading Joe Johnson back to Phoenix for Boris Diaw and the rights to Joe Klein was a fair trade, he could make this deal -- he has that power. Similarly, if Billy decided to replace Mike Woodson with someone -- like, say, me -- he could do that as well, even though Mark Bradley would be so angry he'd probably re-grow his perm and mustache. Billy is the general manager. The people with the money trust him and his vision, and have asked us fans to buy into it as well.

That's why The Trade two weeks ago was such a boost for us, the fans. Just when we thought the Hawks were out, they pulled us back in, throwing us a bone of hope. By bringing in Bibby, he gave us a reason to believe.

Then the Hawks lost 4 of the next 5 games.

So if the players aren't the problem right now, who or what is? That's Billy Knight's job to figure out.

MAILING IT IN…

This week we hear from Josh Mitchell, who writes…

I am a huge Hawks fan and have a better then average basketball I.Q. Do you think the Hawks would better bringing Marvin Williams in off the bench and starting Pachulia, who I know is capable of more? It would free up Smith at small forward and Horford at the power spot and give the bench a much needed boost. What do you think?

Interesting question. There's actually two levels to your question: 1) Should we change the starting line-up? And, 2) Is Zaza capable of more?

Working backwards, Zaza is definitely capable of more. His numbers are way down this season, which is to be expected with the drop he's seen in his playing time. But more troubling is that his percentages are also way down, meaning his shots aren't going in. This could be a confidence issue, or could be related to the concussion problems he had earlier. Or maybe he's just not as good as he used to be. I don't know, but whatever it is, Zaza's not the player he used to be.

Now, the bigger question is should we change the starting line-up, but I don't think swapping Marv for Zaza is the move. Horford may be better suited to power forward and J-Smoove could be a better small forward, but Marv is probably the best jump shooter in the starting five, and losing him means we lose the threat of stretching the floor. If anything, swapping Marv with Josh Childress would make more sense, because Chills is a solid spot-up shooter. But at the same time, I like having Childress come off the bench because he's versatile enough to play the one through four, so he can sub out for any number of guys who are in foul trouble.

Perhaps some of our guys are playing out of position, but I think we're making the best of what's around.

Lang Whitaker is the executive editor of SLAM magazine and writes daily at SLAMonline.com. He can be reached at lang@harris-pub.com. The best email he receives each week will run in this column.