Against the Hawks, Vince Carter led the way with 26 points in 27 minutes. He was 9-for-10 from the field, 5-for-5 on three-pointers and 3-for-4 at the line. Dwight Howard had 25 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. Ryan Anderson chipped in with 18 points, while Brandon Bass had 14.

The Hawks didn’t exactly end their preseason play in style. Jamal Crawford came off the bench to lead the Hawks in scoring with 14, while Randolph Morris, Joe Johnson and Josh Smith were also in double figures.

Orlando will try to continue their hot play when their regular season schedule starts on Monday versus the Philadelphia 76ers. While the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics deserve respect, the Magic are quickly proving to the world that they should be the favorites in the Eastern Conference.

Dwight Howard - Orlando Magic (Image: Zuma Press)

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Orlando Magic Go Undefeated in Preseason

Earlier in the offseason, the Hawks signed Joe Smith to add more size to their team. Collins is further insurance at the bigman positions.

After playing with the New Jersey Nets for the first six and a half years of his career, Collins has split the last one nd a half years with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Last season with the T’Wolves, the 7-footer out of Stanford averaged 1.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per contest.

While Collins isn’t a very good scorer or a very good rebounder, he’s a fantastic post defender. When defending against the bigger and stronger players in the league, there are few defenders as effective as Collins. With the Hawks, Collins will be helpful in certain matchups — namely against Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal.

Jason Collins signed by the Atlanta Hawks (Image: Zuma Press)

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Jason Collins Heading to Atlanta

According to numerous reports, Smith’s final two options were the Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. To end last season, Smith was on the Cavs. With the Hawks, he’ll get a chance to play a larger role on a team that is definitely one of the most up-and-coming squads in the Eastern Conference.

Originally drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the 1995 NBA Draft, Smith started on the Oklahoma City Thunder last year before finishing the season with the Cavs. With the Thunder, he averaged 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds. With the Cavs, he averaged 6.5 points and 4.7 rebounds. For his career, he’s played in 950 games and has averages of 11.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 0.9 blocks.

While it is unlikely that Smith will start for the Hawks, he has a good chance of being the first power forward off of the bench.

Joe Smith will no longer have LeBron by his side (Image: Zuma Press)

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Joe Smith Signs with the Atlanta Hawks

The 29-year-old Crawford split last year with the Warriors and the New York Knicks. With the Warriors, he averaged 19.7 points, 4.4 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. With the Knicks, he averaged 19.6 points, 4.4 assists and 1.6 rebounds.

Right now, it’s difficult to think where Crawford fits in with the Hawks. One scenario could be that Crawford could start at point guard and Atlanta could then let Mike Bibby walk in free agency. Alternatively, Crawford could be used as a sixth man scoring spark off the bench.

For the Warriors, this was a straight salary dump. Claxton’s career is basically over and most of his contract is covered by insurance. Law is a throw-in but he does have some NBA potential as a backup point guard.

Jamal Crawford - Atlanta Hawks (Image: Zuma Press)

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Jamal Crawford Traded to the Hawks

Josh Smith Trade Rumors (Image: Zuma Press)

Why would the Hawks trade Josh Smith? The biggest reason is money. The Hawks could face a luxury tax threshold pinch this summer and trading Smith’s lucrative contract could open up room. Additionally, Smith has had his differences with the coaching staff and has long be regarded as a potential locker room problem.

This past season, Smith averaged 15.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks on 49.2% shooting from the field. In the playoffs, his averages were 17.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.

If the Hawks put him on the open market, expect plenty of interest around the league. At 23, Smith has a lot of room for growth and his elite athleticism makes him a game-changer in any type of system.

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Josh Smith Trade Rumors – Atlanta Hawks

Leading the way for the Hawks was All-Star guard Joe Johnson. In 44 minutes, Johnson had 27 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists. He hit 10-of-19 shots from the floor and 6-of-8 three-pointers. He got help from Josh Smith’s 21 points and nine rebounds, Mike Bibby’s 11 points and six assists and the 15 points off the bench from Ronald Murray.

Dwyane Wade (who else?) led the Heat with 31 points, although he connected on just 10-of-25 shots from the field. Rookie Michael Beasley had 17 points and seven boards off the bench. The only other Heat in double-digits was Udonis Haslem with 14 points to go along with 13 rebounds.

In the second round of the playoffs, the Hawks will be going up against the Cleveland Cavaliers. While LeBron and the Cavs will be tough, the Hawks have proven they are a very good home team that has enough talent to steal wins on the road.

Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks (Image: Newscom)

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Hawks Cool Off Heat in Game 7

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat (Image: Newscom)

The Heat led 32-18 after the end of the first quarter and the Hawks struggled to mount any sort of comeback. The second half was dominated by Miami and they were able to post a resounding 98-72 win.

Helping out Wade was rookie Michael Beasley. The second overall pick in the draft scored 22 points and pulled down 15 rebounds off the bench.

The Hawks were led by Mike Bibby’s 20 points, while Joe Johnson and Flip Murray both scored 13 points. Atlanta played without starting center Al Horford due to a sore foot. Marvin Williams was only able to play five minutes due to a wrist injury.

Game 7 will be played in Atlanta on Sunday afternoon.

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Dwyane Wade Leads Heat to Force Game 7

Tony Parker of the Spurs carves up the Hawks (Image: Newscom)

On Wednesday night against the Atlanta Hawks, Parker once again proved that point. In 39 minutes, Parker had 42 points and ten assists while making 18 of his 25 shot attempts from the field and all six of his free throws.

With the score tied going into the final period, Parker took over. Using his blinding speed and midrange jumper, the native of France picked apart the Hawks possession after possession. When it was all said and done, the Spurs had posted a 102-92 victory.

Making the win even more impressive is the fact that San Antonio was shorthanded. Duncan missed the game to rest his aching knees, while Ginobili was limited to 12 minutes in his return to the lineup after missing over a month with an ankle injury.

Roger Mason, Jr. chipped in 18 points for the Spurs, while Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 30 points.

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Tony Parker Erupts as Spurs Top Hawks

It’s hard to believe that a player playing in the most competitive league on the planet decides to leave for another league in another country.

If I were management with the Hawks – I would hate to answer to my fan base today!

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Childress Leaves Hawks … for Greece?