It’s not just us, and it’s not just you. It’s everyone. Everyone is sick of charity games, of celebrity games and nights ending up 170-168. It was cool for a while. That got us through the summer of no basketball, trade rumors or signings: “Capital Punishment,” “The Big Payback,” and all the rest. But Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams are promising something different. Seattle and Atlanta are two consistently overlooked hoop hotbeds. But now we’ll have the chance to see which city is better. Expect it to be heated. Expect it to be real.
As we broke in Smack last night, Crawford for Seattle and Williams for Atlanta are organizing a REAL GAME. Not a showcase, but a real game, or at least that’s what the organizers are telling us. It’ll take place at Morehouse College on Saturday, November 19. Doors will open at 2 p.m. with the game starting an hour later. If you plan on being in the Atlanta crowd, I’d suggest getting there extra early because this one is going to be hype.
How hype? It would’ve been dope even until news broke today that Dwight Howard will be playing for Atlanta. Now it’s on another level. Here are the two sides’ lineups:
ATLANTA
Dwight Howard
Louis Williams
Damien Wilkins
Derrick Favors
Anthony Morrow
Joe Johnson
Jeff Teague
Josh Smith
—–
SEATTLE
Jamal Crawford
Nate Robinson
Isaiah Thomas
Spencer Hawes
Jon Brockman
Marvin Williams
Terrence Williams
Will Conroy
Seattle has a recent history of repeatedly putting out big-time backcourt players. Isaiah Thomas told us a few months back that he thinks his home city could take anyone, and that if it came down to perimeter play, no one can touch them. We love Crawford and his playground game, but is there any way the ATL doesn’t take this one? Check out that lineup. If you take their starting five – probably Teague, Williams, Johnson, Smith and Howard, you can win an NBA title with that. They are probably just too physical, too big.
At this point, with a summer of defense that would make even Golden State cringe, it’s hard to say this will definitely come down to pride, guts and love for a city. But that’s the idea behind it, and if everyone comes to not only show out, but to rep their home, it could be amazing.
Tickets are already on sale, going for $40 for the first five rows and $25 for everywhere else.
Who’s going to win this game?
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