From the ATL

The Cavs come to Atlanta for the first of two meetings These will be tightly contested games because the Hawks are for real - they are athletic, talented and have bought into Mike Woodson’s defensive mentality. It’s amazing, because when the Cavs faced the Hawks at The Q last week, Atlanta came in 4th in the East and the Cavs were 10th. Now the Cavs are tied for 4th, and the Hawks have slipped to 9th, but this is how it will be the rest of the way. Winning and losing streaks will send teams up and down the ladder in the blink of an eye. Atlanta has lost 4 in a row while the Cavs have won 4 straight.

Anderson Verejao continues to be a rebounding monster with 8 more last night. So, over the last 9 games he’s averaging nearly a double-double at 8.7 ppg and 9 rpg. Andy says part of his rebounding secret is watching the flight of the ball and anticipating where he feels the miss will go. This takes more than guessing, it’s an innate feel. Dennis Rodman used to say the exact thing. Rodman had an amazing ability to also start deep beyond the rim and then back out into the lane to basically sneak in for rebounds where he would many times tip the ball to himself. Rodman, and Charles Barkley used to say over 60% of missed shots go to the weak side - so, they would anticipate in that direction.

Andy does it with that 6th sense and amazing feet, plus he never stops moving. He’s made quite an impact since his return.

Gotta sneak out for a quick lunch at one of my favorite spots, Pitty Pat’s Porch. Gotta say that name with a little southern drawl and you know you are in Atlanta.

See you tonight on FSN!