Steel Gauntlet Smackdown!
Wow.
If you predicted a first game blowout of the Heat, by the Hawks…then kudos to you. No doubt every Hawks fan was anxiously, eagerly looking for a win, but a win like that? You certainly couldn’t ask for any better. The Hawks took note of other teams in the playoffs losing game 1 (and therefore homecourt advantage) and responded accordingly. Point blank: they smacked the Heat right in the face with a steel gauntlet and drew blood. There’s really no other way to say it.
And they did it in a way that represents the teachings (and constant implorings) of head coach Mike Woodson. That’s right, defense and rebounding. Dwyane Wade never became the Mr. Flash of old in this game, even though he got to the basket with relative ease a few times. He didn’t get the calls, and other than the few aforementioned forays into the paint, he got nothing going. He looked anything but a superstar, and his teammates were unable to help. Sure, Michael Beasley had a double double, but in the sorriest possible fashion, as the Heat were beaten to death on the boards by a determined Hawks squad that saw 7 players get at least 3 rebounds, with three of them getting 9 or 10. Meanwhile, only Beasley managed double figures in rebounds for the Heat. Two other Heat players literally only got about half as much. Rebounding and Defense. There went two smacks with the steel guantlet!
Eric Spoelstra has done quite a job with his team as a rookie coach. Much can be made of the Heat getting this far with a rookie head coach, rookie point guard, and their second-best offensive threat being….you guessed it….a rookie. But regular season achievements mean little come playoff time. Everything changes, and you have to bring your A game. And that’s hard to do when you just haven’t been in that position before. Either way, Spoelstra and his staff were just not able to counter the schemes that Mike Woodson and his staff brought to the table. Not even for a little while, and not on either side of the court. Woodson had to feel good, putting it to the newcomer in fine fashion, all that hard work coming to fruition. A gauntlet smack again!
Mike Bibby has been much-maligned by myself and others for his less-than-stellar defense, and his propensity for shooting many long jumpers (and not making enough of them) during the regular season. He’s even come under fire for playing more like a shooting guard than a point guard. However, I’ve always maintained that his presence will be needed in the playoffs. And did he ever come up big! Bibby looked every inch the battle-tested, playoff-savvy veteran on both ends of the court. His 10 point, 9 assist, 2 steal, 2 block performance…..wait a minute. Did I see 2 blocks? 2 blocks! Now there’s a part of Bibby you definitely don’t see on a regular basis, but you have to take that with a wide smile. Anyway, Bibby made sure Chalmers looked like the rookie he is, schooling him with ease. By the way, Chalmers’ assist-to-turnover ration was less than 1 to 1. Bibby? His was 3 to 1. Another smack! (Am I beginning to sound like Emeril?)
Of course, there was also the battle in the paint. Just looking at the box score, one would have to ask, “What battle?” Jermaine O’Neal, Udonis Haslem, and Jumaine Jones were simply no match for Al Horford and Josh Smith. Add in the zealous contribution of Zaza Pachulia, and the three of them nearly matched the entire Heat team on the boards, while also combining for 47 of the Hawks’ 88 points. Josh Smith led the way with an array of jaw-dropping dunks, layups, and hooks, while Al’s sweet mid/short range jumper was on display. And while he wasn’t on the court for a very long time, Marvin Williams made the most of it, coming out hot and shooting 3-4 from the field initially (including a 3-pointer) , enroute to a quick 10 points. Meanwhile for the Heat: Joel Anthony was not a factor, Moon had no impact, and Magloire never even made it into a game that was firmly taken by the Hawks in the second quarter.
You know I have to say it….Smack!
When the Hawks play like this, they are going to do more than compete. They are going to win, and in some cases (like last night), they will dominate. Good contributions from EVERYONE on defense always helps. Self-less play on offense is another huge key, and major credit goes out to veterans Joe Johnson and Mike Biby for doing just that. Joe had an unremarkable game of 15 points and 5 boards on 7-16 shooting, but any complaint on this is nitpicking, considering his solid defense and within-the-flow-of-the-game play.
Now all the Hawks have to do is KEEP playing like this, never letting up. Fortunately, coach Mike Woodson will not let these guys get too ahead of themselves, and he will have the help of veterans Murray, Johnson, Bibby, and Evans to keep things well grounded. But a game 2 does beckon, as does the remainder of the series that has just begun. Will the Heat come up with sufficient adjustments to make life harder on the Hawks? Will the Hawks disregard this and beat them into submission anyway? Staying tuned for another smackdown!
In other news, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown won Coach of The Year. Hawks head coach Mike Woodson finished a very distant 8th in the voting, far behind even 7th place finisher and playoff opponent Heat coach Eric Spoelstra. Spoelstra received 2 first place votes, 8 second place votes, and 19 third place votes. Woodson received 1 first place vote (who let Coach Samuel into the voting process? Hee Hee..), 3 second place votes, and 3 third place votes (Astro Joe got in there too, and voted like he’s from Florida…heh heh). Same as Lakers coach Phil Jackson.
But you know what? None of that matters. Ask Coach Woodson, and I’ll bet you he’s all too focused on the task at hand. Spoelstra’s votes (and those of any others for that matter) count for nothing when compared to playoff wins, and it looks to me like Woodson is up 1-0, and counting. All that matters is what he, his staff, and this team can accomplish in the playoffs, in the wake of a successful regular season.
What’s that metallic sound you say? If last night was any indication, that’s Woodson and the Hawks, pulling on their steel gauntlets….
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
88 comments Add your comment
HB Ando
April 21st, 2009
11:47 pm
Najeh, moot point, because there’s no chance the Raps would trade Bargnani for a re-signed Marvin, this summer. And since this is kind of a redundant conversation, I’ll keep it brief. But I agree there are other bigs who could bring what we need here. The issue is that what we need from that mystery center depends totally on whether we would be giving up Smith or Marvin. Again, if you moved Marvin, and had to add a center to a front line of Josh and Al, he would have to be a legit, face-up outside shooter. So, to clarify that point, I love Biedrens, but adding him to Josh and Al would create, arguably, the worst outside shooting front line in the NBA, regardless of how dominant they would be defensively. Conversely, if we sought a center in exchange for Josh (no, I’m not advocating trading Josh Smith, no way, no how), he could be a classic, low-post presence, like a Biedrens, because a re-signed Marvin provides the legitimate outside threat for the front line.
So, as I’ve been saying for 4 years now, I ultimately believe that either Josh or Marvin will move on, as they both are most comfortable in the 3 slot. And I think that if the Hawks commit to a long-term front court of Marvin, Josh and Al, they’ll never win a championship, due to being slightly undersized, despite the fact that, individually, they’ll all continue to produce legitimately compelling production on the floor.
It has been, and will always be, about creating the optimally balanced roster. And for the Hawks to create a “whole” greater than the sum of its individual “parts”, one of these emerging, talented forwards, will need to be exchanged for a team-improving big man.
Again, a discussion for another day, as right now it is all about GAME TWO!!!!
Can the Hawks replicate their dominating game one performance? If O’Neal truly has nothing more to offer, and Beasley and Chalmers look as rattled as they did Sunday, and if Wade either can’t, or won’t, take a shot at putting on a one-man show, then odds are game two will bear a striking resemblance to game one.
Which can’t be anything but AWESOME, BABY!!!!!
P.S. Just a reminder to Josh Smith: there are still too many folks that doubt you, so it’s up to you to prove all your HATERS wrong. Bring that chip on your shoulder, and take all that disrespect out on the Heat!!!!!!!!!
HB Ando
April 22nd, 2009
12:46 am
Ray, I’m utterly clueless as to what doc’s point is or was. But if it’s a matter of giving him credit, consider it given…….
doc
April 22nd, 2009
12:53 am
since flash left ray, it would only leave richie, sautee and maybe newkid. does this mean i am in exile?
doc
April 22nd, 2009
8:02 am
guess it does, unless sautee comes to the rescue of an ole man. heh heh
Sautee
April 22nd, 2009
10:02 am
I don’t think I’m capable of that kind of rescue. Getting too old, I guess. Try Ken Strickland, he’s in our age group.
But I question Ray’s original premise of “picking on someone your own age” when he’s totally NAILED some of the teenagers who come on here from their parent’s computer. heh heh
MannyT
April 22nd, 2009
12:09 pm
Ray, I won’t bash Woody today. However, you cannot turn rotten lemons into lemonade, but you can put them in the garbage disposal to make it fresher instead of just putting them out by the curb until someone else picks them up. Better coaches find useful roles for their players. Recall the rest of that Larry Brown/Philly team that went to the finals.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHI/2001.html
You guys can chat it up with assistant coach Hill about all the talent on that team. No wonder that AI didn’t want to practice with them
We can take nothing for granted tonight. We need this win to hold home court. Sunday is a distant memory, but we do need to be mindful of how the great Chuck Daly would coach it. Kepp running the same plays until the other team figures out how to stop it.
As for all that age elitism, I have repsect for anyone older than me that embraces newer skills, like blogging. Now if doc, Sautee, richie, & newkid start their own blog, facebook page, twitter, etc…then I say bow to the kings of old school, new cool.
Sautee, maybe ray went to the Shaq school of law enforecement. Wasn’t that his main thing, nailing predators online
…and Sautee, you are correct, I ain’t right. That’s probably why I have to resist the urge to post without restraint.
I can’t wait to find some fans on the wrong side of this series tonight.
Let’s haze the heat!
BWAF
Astro Joe
April 22nd, 2009
7:53 pm
For the record, I was only speaking to Brown’s offensive philosophy and drawing a line to Woody’s offensive philosophy. The similarities end there. (For both good and bad). I know one things for sure, LB would have left this team after 17 games. Or, he would have given the Atlanta media a few hours worth of quotes where he ripped his players from head to toe. Or, he would have asked the GM to trade everyone who zigged when he asked them to zag.
HB Ando
April 22nd, 2009
8:04 pm
Tip-off upcoming, and I’m hard-pressed to come up with any logic that suggests a different outcome from Sunday night. Hawks at home are simply more than the one-dimensional Heat can handle. If the crowd is anything like the one I joined on Sunday, this should look like somewhat of an instant replay (and that ain’t a bad thing)……..
HB Ando
April 22nd, 2009
8:13 pm
Or, given an ongoing history of wrongness, I could predict 40 from D Wade, an awakening from O’Neal, and both Beasley and Chalmers putting a quick turn on their “deer in the headlights” performance from Game One…..
Nah…….
HB Ando
April 22nd, 2009
8:34 pm
Was that dunk a J. O’Neal “awakening”?????? Man, I’d hate to be the next GM to try and figure out which JO you’d be getting if you re-signed him. Stats don’t lie, but I keep wondering (less since his Game one non-factor) if he doesn’t have it in him to pull a playoff run like Jerome James did several years ago, in Seattle, leading the ever-clueless Isiah Thomas to hand him the least earned $30 million of all time.
Hawks are flat so far. But the array of weapons is still far too much in the favor of the Hawks to suggest a home upset tonight.
Sautee
April 22nd, 2009
8:42 pm
Ando,
is it lonely in here?
Wabe
April 22nd, 2009
9:21 pm
They look horrible tonite. There’s no energy, no intensity, no desire to win this game. The Hawks better wake up quick in the 2nd half or they’ll get whipped just as bad as they whipped Miami in game 1.
What im not understanding is this: WHY DONT THEY DOUBLE DOWN ON WADE — trap him — do whatever they can to get the ball out of his hands. I would rather see any other member on Miami score 40 and beat ATL than see Wade beating us single-handed.
HB Ando
April 22nd, 2009
9:53 pm
My boy Pete is right: when it comes to picking winners, the best thing to do is call me, listen to my typically very rational explanation on why one team should win, over the other, then bet exactly opposite of my choice. Never fails…..
Wabe
April 22nd, 2009
10:35 pm
Ridiculous. So all I’ve heard about when watching the Hawks all season is about how they want to secure a top 4 spot in the East to assure homecourt advantage in the first round.
Well, all that was for nothing..
The series will go 6 or 7. Do i think the Hawks will win? Well, the way it’s looking like now – Miami swiping homecourt away here and going back to Miami for game 3 w/momentum – no.
We’ll see what adjustments they make. No doubt, im a disappointed fan tonite. They looked pathetic. Letting a bunch of rookies making our young Hawks squad look old..
Wabe
April 22nd, 2009
10:40 pm
Hawks fans booing the Hawks off the court..
It’s just one game…but i dont blame them. Pathetic playoff performance.
Wabe
April 22nd, 2009
10:47 pm
Tempo. That’s what’s going to dictate what happens in this series. And for the Hawks, it all starts on the defensive end. It’s obvious after tonite the Hawks won’t win many games when playing the majority of the game in the halfcourt. They have to force bad shots, rebound, and PUSH THE BALL!
Whoever forces their will and dictates tempo will win this series.
Two games into it:
advantage Miami.
Big Ray
April 22nd, 2009
11:08 pm
This is what I meant about our offense.
When things get tough, we revert to what we know, which is….nothing stable. It’s never been established or enforced. The first thing we do is revert back to jump shooting. Everytime. And that is when we cease to run things through the frontcourt, and the backcourt stops sharing the ball. The guiltiest parties? Just read the box score, if you weren’t able to watch the game. Joe Johnson and Flip Murray. No more offensive cohestion.
And by the way, Wade came back with a huge chip on his shoulder. He even broke off a piece or two for O’Neal and the streaky Cook to wear, as well.
And before anybody starts screaming defense and rebounding….Wade is the kind of superstar who CAN’T be stopped once he’s on a roll. And when he’s determined to get on a roll, he can’t be stopped from doing so. Then all you can do is hope to contain him, and stop his teammates. We weren’t able to do either.
Our starting backcourt registered 4 assists, and 6 turnovers. Our starting frontcourt registered 9 assists and 3 turnovers.
Our team defense wasn’t great, but Josh and Al played the best of anybody, aside from Bibby, who shot well. The only knock on these two guys was a few missed free throws.
Hmmm. J’Oneal didn’t look so broken down this time around. Hawks need to maintain their workman-like attitude. Things will be tough down in South Beach.
New blog will be up tonight or tomorrow (most likely).
Big Ray
April 22nd, 2009
11:12 pm
Okay, maybe by Friday…
Big Ray
April 22nd, 2009
11:32 pm
Heat have already done one of the hardest things to do in a playoff series: win on the road. That’s a major confidence builder. Now the Hawks have to do the same. We didn’t do a good job of that in the regular season. Time to turn it up a notch and show that we’re real winners.
The series has more or less started from scratch…
HB Ando
April 22nd, 2009
11:32 pm
HB Ando
April 22nd, 2009
8:13 pm
Or, given an ongoing history of wrongness, I could predict 40 from D Wade, an awakening from O’Neal, and both Beasley and Chalmers putting a quick turn on their “deer in the headlights” performance from Game One…..
Nah…….
Cough, cough…………
HB Ando
April 24th, 2009
1:20 am
Curious: our Hacks’ blog is “for the fans, by the fans”. While our traffic rightfully trails that of our mentor, and fearless leader, Sekou Smith, somewhere there exists a point of consideration that this post, following a disappointing game two collapse, is the first in over 25 hours, since I posted last night.
Is it that the usual suspects/contributors find themselves speechless after last nights’ dominating Heat victory?
Maybe….
But for those of you who have staunchly supported this seasons’ team, from pre-season to the moment at hand, it seems like this would be the most critical juncture, a true opportunity to clarify absolute faith rather than wavering fortitude.
The Hawks have followed up a tremendous Game One performance, complete enough to call into question the sound rationale of any stubborn dissenters, going into what appeared to be a relatively manageable repeat for game two.
Yet, in what can best be defined as a “right plan”, “wrong night” scenario, Game Two looked exactly like the “worst-case” outcome for the Hawks at home, just a game later than expected.
Once again, these two games become a microcosm of the general unpredictability of the Atlanta Hawks, utilizing game one as a comprehensive statement to the single-minded focus of the good guys, while quickly allowing a broadly inept performance, across the board, to conversely represent the equally limiting failings of those same players, in appearing unlikely to emerge as any viable threat challenge for the Eastern Conference Crown.
If anyone feels a firm and unyielding prediction on which Hawks’ team will arrive for game 3, I’m interested in both their logic and the source of their conviction.
My prediction of a mild, first-round upset, at the hands of the Heat, envisioned the kind of performance we saw from the Heat in Game Two. But the thoroughness of the Hawks Game one domination seemingly made it clear that any given night presented an opportunity for either team to invoke its collective will, on the other, with a reasonably variable outcome truly plausible.
The Hawks haven’t been a very good road team this year, but it is a bit hard to predict that we would lose 3 straight road game in Miami. That being said, pressure is all on the Hawks, as the lower seed, having already given up home-court advantage, and exposing themselves as readily capable of the kind of soft, meandering, over-confident performance they offered in the Game Two LOSS.
HB Ando
April 24th, 2009
1:23 am
Wowzy, almost 26 straight hours between Ando posts, with nothing in between……Don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.
Melvin
April 24th, 2009
10:34 am
Cut and paste my post below from Sekou blog last nite. Take that, take that Ando…
However, I wont panic because if we learn anything about this Hawks team. They seem to rise to the occassion when needed. They will win at least 1 out 2 games in Miami.
These Heat fans can talk all they want. Their team play a good game and didn’t miss many shots last night. But the Hawks still had a chance to win the game after shooting 44% from the floor and 30% from 3pt line and 63% from free throw line and Joe sitting the entire 3qtr with 4 fouls. Can the Heat win if DWade sit for an entire qtr? Let alone be competitive with the same odds the Hawks experience. You know yall can’t. Besides you all lost by almost 30pts with DWade in game 1… GameOn… Lets Go Hawks.
Better pack some swagger Hawks! | Hawks Blog
April 24th, 2009
11:40 am
[...] goes to blog regular niremetal, via Big Ray, who keeps the party jumping along with HB Ando on the Hawks Hack blog. When it comes to keen observations, no one does it better than you all (and I know it’s time [...]
MannyT
April 24th, 2009
11:58 am
As long as the coaching staff is working on their tweaks, the Hawks will win at least one game in Miami. Suddenly folks have forgotten the roller coaster ride that is the Hawks. They played better than average on Sunday and worse than average on Wednesday.
No worries…as long as we don’t have to make major halftime adjustments.
BWAF
richbrave
April 24th, 2009
4:26 pm
doc:
Missed last night’s banter. Wha’ ‘up. I’ve got your back. Call DRMARY B for reinforcements. O.K. fire away.
richbrave
April 24th, 2009
4:29 pm
Loose the HAWK
Big Ray
April 24th, 2009
10:39 pm
MannyT,
That’s PRECISELY what worries me. Adjustments….
Big Ray
April 24th, 2009
10:40 pm
Doc and his omens….I swear…
doc
April 24th, 2009
11:00 pm
richie, the the spirit hawk is as dead as the original asg. too many gaffs before the game including the atl boys choir singing with terrible sound system, spirit forgetting his route, the big screen not working and the fans yelling more for the spirit hawk than their own, ray what else is the discerning fan supposed to think. it was too much to overcome man.
ando, i know the heat are giving their all to make you sound the pundit but have you noticed how the sixers are man handling the magic? do you really think we could have come close to keeping them at bay if the magic cant?
richie, crits running mate at tech is thad young the kid who got man handled by howard but still was able to finish to make the game winning shot with two seconds left. it is a move our young hawks rarely do when they get close to he basket.
doc
April 24th, 2009
11:03 pm
man, von wafer has the same do as rio. shame he somehow got overlooked as a possible additition for the hawks since he was auditioning all summer with the other hawks in town? wasnt he free to go anywhere? did we even make an offer? ray you were all over that one if a remember.
Melvin
April 24th, 2009
11:13 pm
Doc, there wouldn’t be enough balls on the court for Wafer and Flip…. and we think Bibby and JJ chuck it up… those tow guys together would make Woody grow his hair back in a Mohawk….
Big Ray
April 25th, 2009
2:35 am
Doc,
I don’t know what you’re talking about. Wafer is as much of a shooter as Melvin suggests. But he’s allergic to defense, meaning he has no place in Woody’s house. I idly wondered if we’d entertain the idea of adding him as a shooter. But I knew better…
As for what Philly is doing to Orlando, it’s not rocket science. Merely control their 2,3, and 4 spots and you’re fine. They don’t have much of a bench and Howard is going to get his.
I feared Philly more than Miami simply because they have our number. Their pg is more dangerous than ours any given day, and they know how to defend us. Orlando is good, but I’ve never really thought of them as anywhere near unbeatable, not even after the two embarassing losses they handed us earlier in the season. Without Nelson (even with the very solid Alston), they don’t have the offensive 1-2 punch unless their two tall wings are playing well. And if you make things difficult on those guys early, they never get going.
Philly figured this out quickly, and probably knew it before the series even started. Preparation and adjustment. Hmmm, something to be said for that. Still, the series is not over, and we shall see who shall impose their will the most. The acquisition of Elton Brand is a mere afterthought at this point, though an incredibly expensive one…
But I realize you were addressing Ando. Sorry if I bored you by acutally addressing the basketball side of this subject. I’m sure Ando will be along presently to nibble at the proffered bait…
Big Ray
April 25th, 2009
2:36 am
LOL@ Melvin..
doc
April 25th, 2009
9:13 am
gee ray and melvin, when things have bogged down and the flip mo connection was in disconnect, i would have liked to have had one more shooter especially the last game since the ones we had failed miserably. he also probably could have helped out when marvin was benched to help us when the offense slowed down moving jj to three. i know that takes imagination. i imagine he would have been a better pick up than gardner. on von wafer doesnt play defense and flip does? maybe we could have put him on wade since it didnt matter anyway who was “guarding” him. isnt one of the common refrains here once beyond the first eight we got very little capable of nba bball? when one goes down it leaves us short at seven. all i am saying folks, it would be nice to have something other than d leaguers around when we go “deep” on the bench. mario isnt the answer either folks, great motor ond guy just a very limited, situational player. he was sitting right here under our noses.
as far as the sixers, yup they over match up with us and the heat pulled a page out of their play book and went at us that way, clogging the middle with some length and bulk and say shoot if you want but you guys are not coming in here. we also have one guy who can beat you if necessary by penetration and an athletic guy to counter balance josh. seems that is what san antonio did when they took us out on our home court except they just slammed josh around like he was a rag doll. bruise us and we become tentative is what i have seen as we have no bruiser to come back with or woody doesnt use that play book.
Melvin
April 25th, 2009
9:40 am
Doc, I agree that I rather have Wafer than Gardner but remember home sits at the front of our bench. Do you really think Woody would be creative enough to find mins for him to play. Heck, he won’t even play lottery pick backup point pg that seems to be the perfect compliment to his starting pg. Remember Wafer game is similiar to Flip better yet less versatile than Flip as he can not play the point. So where are you going to play him, Flip, Mo and Acie? I think Wafer would have been the odd man out in Woody’s system but I would prefer to have him as an option. He seems to be the idea 9,10,11th player that you want on the bench…
doc
April 25th, 2009
10:15 am
you move jj to the three which may be where he would be best anyway. seems if you really look at it he and marvin do very similar things at that position when jj plays there. again depth is important which we do not have when someone or everyone is cold. even the kid from tech that ended up in san fran would have been better than gardner. again right under our noses. probably wouldnt have played, i know. maybe gardner is better than we think only he has to be able to play more under the real lights to find out.
Wabe
April 25th, 2009
2:23 pm
Well, who’s honestly optimistic about the Hawks chances in today’s game?
After watching how the Hawks have a tendency of NOT EVEN SHOWING UP on the road, it’s hard to see them going into a “jacked-up” Miami arena and getting a win.
LET US SEE WHAT THESE HAWKS CAN DO…
It’s only appropriate that our playoff hopes come down to winning a game on the road – seeing how we couldn’t do it last year. Let’s see if this team – one year later – can do it on the road.