March Madness (NBA style)!
Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat are stalking the Hawks for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.
HAWKSVILLE - If you think the college kids are doing it big these days (and they are), check out Dwyane Wade in March.
The Heat superstar has all but ruined the good vibrations from the Hawks’ four-game win-streak, one that can reach five with a win today (provided they can beat back Portland at Philips Arena).
Wade’s not only been the best player in the NBA the past few weeks, he’s been the best player on the planet (sorry LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, but D. Wade’s my pick for MVP and I don’t care what his team’s record is right now).
“I don’t want any part of D. Wade in the playoffs, man,” one of our founding members wrote in an email yesterday. “He’s playing right now the same way he did during the playoffs in 2006. And you know what happened then.”
The Heat won the title that year riding Wade’s cape tails past Dallas in the NBA Finals.
While playing at an otherworldly level in March doesn’t exactly mean your team will get out of the first round of the playoffs in March, Wade’s current tear does pose a clear and present danger to the Hawks.
With the way both the Hawks and Wade (I mean Heat) are playing right now they are setting up a first round matchup in the playoffs. That means the home court advantage fight is going to come down to the final weeks of this season. And the team that gets it almost guarantees itself a win in the series.
That’s why every game the Hawks and Heat play between now and the end of the regular season, including their April 14 tilt at Philips Arena, becomes a battle of epic proportions.
The Hawks already know how important it is to “take care of home” court at all times. They knocked off the eventual NBA champions three times on their home floor during the playoffs last year but couldn’t find a way to even stay close in Boston.
You should expect more of the same in the playoffs this year, with the home teams ruling the roost. The Hawks would best served to be one of those teams. And that means taking care of teams like the Pacers the way they did Friday. Because most of the teams the Hawks will see between now and April 15 are of a much higher caliber.
Slip up against the likes of Sacramento, Minnesota or Indiana – all visitors to Philips between now and the end of the season along with heavyweights like the Celtics, Lakers, Spurs, Mavericks (okay, light heavyweights) and Magic and – and Wade will be kicking the Hawks’ door down for that fourth spot.
Every single Hawks game between now and the end of the season is its own one-and-done tournament.
Did someone say something about March (and a little bit of April) Madness?
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276 comments Add your comment
Rod from College Park
March 16th, 2009
2:09 pm
Sam from the Swats,
Excellent point. Brandon Bass would get 40 dropped on him. Again I ask this question. At the end of the game, who do you want on the floor, Bibby, Joe and Marvin, or Bibby Joe and Flip. I will take the latter.
yessir
March 16th, 2009
2:11 pm
Hey Rod aka Sam. Ya know they have pills for schizos now, right?? Just checkin!
Astro Joe
March 16th, 2009
2:11 pm
Sam from Swats… Bass will either bang Joe when he tries that floater in the lane (and darn near break his hip) or Joe will decide to avoid the punishment and shoot 8 3s during the game. Neither is a particularly great scenario for the Hawks. But if both Josh Howard and Devean George are missing we may see a lot of Mr. Bass (who is a UFA next season and who I would LOVE to see in a Hawks uniform).
MO EVANS = MVP! According to the stat boys… how many other players can claim their team’s are virtually unbeatable with them in the starting line-up. Who needs Kobe, LeBron or D-Wade when we have Mo!
doc
March 16th, 2009
2:13 pm
aj, jj has a lot more moves to put on the other guys three than he can with a two guard. his to’s go down if he is left there. again who would know what kind of bench there is. as far as the injuries adelman, karl, mcmillan and pops have had there own injury problems. we can alomos say it doesnt matter about the loss of marvin as we go on and win 8 straight when he doesnt play. seems it almost helps this team whereas without josh and al we go sub-500 at 12 and 15. it would be misleading to say we are 20 and 15 with the loss of the three wouldnt it?
who matters most on our front line? i think the results are pretty obvious. we also know we have more depth at the guard position and jj plays out of position when marvin isnt around. bibby, flip, mo and acie are more able to handle the loss of marvin than when we are left with only solo, zaza and randmo to sub out for the injury to either al or josh. again we have known for a long time we are weak in bigs off the bench. marvin doesnt quite slide so effortlessly to the four does he by the results?
JOSH = MVP!!!!!!!
take that sam. we would be lower than the sixers without him. if you dont believe me ask horford who would have to take huge amount of abuse. he is the hawks and woody’s meal ticket, get over it. what are you a hata too?
doc
March 16th, 2009
2:16 pm
i knew a virus would spread.
MARVIN aint MVP!
that is safe to say, though he is improved.
JOSH = MVP!
Sam from the Swats
March 16th, 2009
2:26 pm
yessir, you have to be a schizo to know such information….
Sam from the Swats
March 16th, 2009
2:31 pm
Astro Joe, Bass would be a nice pickup for the Hawks. Doc, that’s why we should trade Marvin for another big. Then we would be good to go.
niremetal
March 16th, 2009
2:43 pm
In case y’all haven’t seen it yet:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Kobe-and-Artest-The-lost-trash-talk-audio;_ylt=AvtC7JtM8AaWFHtokAHKswW8vLYF?urn=nba,147982
Rod from College Park
March 16th, 2009
2:54 pm
Yessir,
They also have pills for people who hallucinate (seeing things that don’t exist). I might be able to help you with that. Holla.
Doc,
Another great point. Hope these clowns are reading your post. Niremetal said I was almost alone. Maybe I’m not.
Astro Joe
March 16th, 2009
2:58 pm
doc, I agree, Joe’s ability to move to the 3 off-sets Marvin’s absence more so than Zaza does the absence of Smith or Horford. But isn’t that more about player’s replacement and less about the original starter?
5 of the 7 games Marvin has missed were at home. The majority of games missed by Smith and Horford were on the road. Kind of an interesting fact. Are we better than we think on the road (because we played about half of our road games without a front court starter) or were the injuries to Smith and Horford magnified because we were playing so many road games at the time? Can’t be both.
I don’t think Portland ever had to learn to play without Oden (if that is the injury you were referencing). Houston routinely has to play without Yao and T-Mac. But I hope that you realized that you used 2 of the coaches that you have often discussed as your legit COY candidates (Karl & Adelson). Interesting!
Check out what Joe did last season after a lackluster Jan/Feb. Maybe he just warms up with the weather?
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/splits?playerId=1007&sYear=2008&sType=2
ray
March 16th, 2009
3:13 pm
Hah! You gotta love this place.
Astro Joe,
Easy answer to your question about the “Joe Haters” from a day ago. It’s simple. There never have been, nor will there ever be nearly as many “Joe Haters” as there are “Josh Haters.” And you know it’s true…
I’m sure Samuel will let you onto his Woody Wagon, but you can’t drive. See, Sam has been there all along (to his credit). YOU didn’t show up until after this 5 game homestand. I don’t recall you making so much noise up until that point…
Rod,
I think Marvin has more value than you give him credit for. If he’s as bad as you say, then what could we hope to get for him in trade? You always want your assets to be valuable. I don’t know what to say about the fact that we’re 12-1 without him, other than this kind of stat can be misleading.
You can take any stat and make an argument with it. Marvin was only providing 14ppg on offense because our offensive design didn’t consistenly involve him that much. In games where he was more of a focal point on offense, he produced more. In games where he was less involved, he produced less. Really, the same can be said of Josh Smith. The difference is that Josh feels that he has to be more aggressive out there, and therefore he takes more shots. He’s always been more aggressive. But if you look, he’s only averaging one basket more a game. So in fact, offensively he’s worth little more than Marvin….right? See how one stat can be used to make a statement?
On the flip side, Marvin has played adequate defense. I did notice the guys you listed as having scored well against him. Well here’s the problem with that. That’s only what, 8 guys? And guess what? Every last one of them is an all-star level talent. They CAN’T be guarded one-on-one. There is a reason why Granger averages 25ppg. He’s doing that against THE LEAGUE…not playing Marvin every night.
No, Marvin has not clamped anyone of these top level guys completely down. NOBODY DOES, man. But guess what you missed? Out of that group of guys, and the games you’ve listed they’ve had against us this season, which totals 14 times…only 3 of those instances were 30+ point games. Some of those guys have had 40 or 50 point games this season. None came against us. None of those guys season highs came against us either.
Yeah, we’re 12-1 without Marvin. But that says something about the way we play offense, and our ability on defense when we decide to play it. the guys getting PT now that Marvin’s out? Solo, Acie, Mario, Mo Evans? All of them can play “D”.
I’m not saying there’s no merit to the fact that we’re winning without him. I’m just saying he’s got more value (and so does our bench) than he’s given credit for.
ray
March 16th, 2009
3:21 pm
Man, I swear.
The minute you WANT to give Woody credit for doing something good, he goes and opens his mouth.
Whatever he’s eating he needs to keep eating it,” Woodson said. “He’s been on a roll. And he’s got to play like that the rest of the way out. Even when we get into the playoffs, he has to play at that level. And the supporting cast has to do their job and play at a high level as well.”
For crying out loud. It’s not like Joe hasn’t been trying. He’s been taking roughly the same number of shots per game all this time!
But when you have to play pg all the time, it doesn’t help. When you have to defend the opposing pg all the time (because your veteran teammate can’t), it doesn’t help. When nobody else is stepping up or is featured on offense, it doesn’t help. When opposing teams’ defensive gameplan inlcudes throwing double and triple teams at you all night because they know nobody else is going to get the ball enough to make a difference…IT DOESN’T HELP!!!!
How can this not be so obvious?! Teams can no longer fade away from Smith and Horford, because both guys will score. So, no more doubling up JJ all the time. And guess what? Like any NBA all-star, he cannot be guarded one-on-one. That’s the difference. Coaches finally coaching a gameplan that works, players finally trusting each other and stepping up to the plate, and executing.
Duh!
fudd21
March 16th, 2009
3:25 pm
OMG! Ray defending Marvin, let me run outside and see if it’s snowing. Next Rod won’t include a negative comment about Marvin in his post. What is the blog coming too?
ray
March 16th, 2009
3:27 pm
I’ll give Woody credit for making some good, effective bench moves since Marvin went down.
And maybe his tiff with Josh made them both better for it.
But what can be said about the performance of Horford, which has been even more impactful? Dude stepped up and out on his own. While Josh had his issues, Horford became a consistent double double threat. He made teams pay when they thought they could sag off. This guy deserves a ton of credit. And just think, he’s only a second year guy.
A guy that some people were ready to cast off as somebody who “might be a solid NBA player, but nothing all that good.” He’s a future leader. He’s a leader NOW.
Bill
March 16th, 2009
3:30 pm
Nice Hawks blog here-
http://crashingtheglass.com
Astro Joe
March 16th, 2009
3:38 pm
Ray, remind me who your partner, Ando, compared to Horford? I can’t remember, but I think it may have been someone like Michael Cage or Antonio Davis. I should have bookmarked it (like I did the playoff bet).
And actually, I think (no, I know) that players like Smith create far more passion than a player like Joe. Much like Horford doesn’t stir many passions around here either. But that’s okay, there’s a guy in San Antonio who doesn’t move the emotional meter but will go down as a top 10 player in the history of the freakin’ game. When people were all hot and bothered by KG 8-10 years ago, I recall siding with the boring guy from San Antonio. I’d choose 16 points each and every night over someone who goes for 20 on 2 nights and 8 on the 3rd night. But the latter player is typically the one who gets the most pub, because folk only recall the 20 point games.
nique
March 16th, 2009
3:43 pm
why did woody play joe 43 minutes in an 18 point win?! joe’s going to be burned out again come playoff time if he can’t rest up a bit before the playoffs.
Sam from the Swats
March 16th, 2009
3:45 pm
ray, I have been on here, but I’m a busy person. Don’t have time to sit on blogs all day and conversate with the mentally unfortunate as yourself.
Ariose
March 16th, 2009
3:58 pm
Wow, it’s amazing to me how similar Blogger-Fans can be. I was on a couple of Blazer blogs, and while some of their fans just accepted that it was a poor defensive effort from the Blazers(and like us…..and the Jazz they’re not great on the road)/Joe was on Fire/The Hawks are stingy on their home floor, Some were calling for Nate McMillan to be fired. Others wanted Bayless to get more PT, Some wanted to trade for J-Kidd or at least get a decent starting veteran point guard, some wonderd what it would be like if they drafted Horford instead(to wich someone replied: “People would have rioted in the strets”)lol!!! Others wanted to know Greg Oden’s Time-table for his return…….my point is, fans of every team goes through this sh#%!t.
Rod from College Park
March 16th, 2009
4:08 pm
Ray,
Good points, but remember, the stats I posted were in response to the clowns on this blog who stated how Marvin shut those stars down (see my post), and how great a perimeter defender he is. If that were the case, why would the stats not reflect that? I have stated before that Marvin went from a terrible defender last year to ok this year, but lets not act like he is a defensive star. I mean people on this blog actually tell me that Marvin is a better defensive player than Josh Smith. So am I supposed to throw out the last two years when Marvin continuously got beat of the dribble, and Josh had to leave his man and help Marvin on every play. Do you see any players changing their game because Marvin Williams is guarding them? I don’t. Is it understood that Josh Smith can defend the 2 thru the 5. Remember the one on one block on Wade at the end of the game last year. Can Marvin guard Garnett, Gasol, West? They would eat his lunch. I personally don’t think his value is that high because there are 15 to 20 or more players starting in the NBA right now who can give you the same thing OR MORE than Marvin can at his position. Some examples are: Granger, Durant, Melo, Prince, Gay, Ariza (Somebody on this blog laughed when I said I would take Ariza over Marvin), Howard, Igoudala, Deng, Harrington, Pierce, Magette, Butler, Jefferson……… and the list goes on. Do you not think that the kid from Duke (Henderson) could not come here next year and give us the same production, or more than Marvin? I do. His draft position does dictate to the Atlanta Hawks management that he should be a starter. I personally think he would be better coming of the bench, but that is just my opinion. Again, lease answer my question. At the end of the game, whom do you want on the floor? Bibby, Joe and Marvin, or Bibby Joe and Flip? Your answer to that question might help you understand why I don’t think his value is that high. He is the easiest guy in our starting lineup to replace, and the highest drafted I might add.
Sam from the Swats
March 16th, 2009
4:26 pm
Rod,
Exactly my point. This is a number 2 draft pick. We are getting mediocre numbers from a number 2 draft pick. Somebody said that we should be more upset at the Shelden Williams number 5 pick. Not exactly, because we dumped him, Anthony Johnson, Lue, and Lorenzen for Bibby. So we actually were able to get a decent point guard. We need to sign and trade Marvin next year for either Camby or Kaman. If we can resign Zaza and Bibby let’s do it. I don’t think we can, then be able to turn around and resign Joe and Al. We’ll see.
Astro Joe
March 16th, 2009
4:30 pm
Ray, some might wonder why after a five game winning streak and the likelihood of securing the 4th seed, there are still rioters at the door of Philips Arena with lighted torches and screaming for Woody’s head on a ball cart? Some are bemoaning the stock price while it is at it’s 52-week high… what sense does that make? Make room, Sam, I’ll climb aboard your hoopty!
Ariose
March 16th, 2009
4:30 pm
Clowns? Do you remeber in the Cleveland Game what happend when Marvin went to the bench with those fouls????? We wen’t down by like thirteeen and didn’t rally until the second half(I’m pretty sure Marvin played all of the 3rd and 4th quaters in that game)
Look, it’s a team effort. LB get’s past marvins defense only to meet J-Smoove at the top of the mountain only to be denied another sportscenter highlight.
I don’t even want to think of what would happen if Joe or Mo had to defend LeBron for 48 minutes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWC7RfUbMBg&feature=related
……nope, don’t want none of that. People forget that Marvin is 6′9 245 lbs……virtuallly the prototypical Small Forward size and the same size as LeBron(Though Marvin is an inch taller).
Ariose
March 16th, 2009
4:34 pm
You thought 33 points was bad? Boy you’re lucky we have tons of swingmen who can switch Clevland’s pick n’ rolls. He’d work us just like he does the knicks and every other unathletic team out there……50 points, Easy
Tyger
March 16th, 2009
4:43 pm
**Big Pass Joe**
Seemingly better late than never, but Big Pass Joe has decided that being “aggressive” is better than being “passive”. Well, after dividing the Spirit ownership over his $70M contract, one could reasonably conclude that he was brought aboard to be “aggressive”.
I might be wrong but somehow I think the absence of JJs name in the MVP race: DWade, Kobe, Lebron, may have irked this reluctant star’s feathers a bit. He’s playing harder, he’s going to the hole rather than settling for 3’s, he’s taking big shots, he’s showing leadership.
Now, if he could only take his show on the road and not shy away from the bigger names. i.e. Put up good numbers when Kobe, Wade, Lebron in town. Stop resorting to being a 2nd tier star, show us that you belong with the elite, not that you respect them.
Sam from the Swats
March 16th, 2009
4:55 pm
Ariose, thanks for your explanation over one game. I appreciate your input. Astro Joe, thanks, I’m just saying when Marvin comes back, bring him off the bench. It won’t happen because he’s a number 2 pick and Woody won’t do it. If I recall, Lebron still had 26 points. You guys act like Lebron had like 8 points or something, no, Marvin has games like that, not true superstars living up to their draft status.
Freshmaker
March 16th, 2009
5:21 pm
Sam, why do you bang on Marvin so much? He averages 14ppg because he’s the 4th option in our offense behind JJ, Bibby and Josh. You’re not going to have every starter average 20+ppg. When we play through our frontcourt, he does pretty well. I’m fine with the way Marvin’s played this year. He’s stepped up when we’ve needed him to. I’m fine with him being the 6th guy off the bench too if that’s what Woody ends up doing. Bring him in to put up some points.
Samuel
March 16th, 2009
5:47 pm
Doc,
Sorry it took me so long to respond to your post.
Yes, I did take the time to read the article. It was an ok article. A bit long and boring. Reminded me too much of Ray and (prebirth) Ando’s stuff. I just can’t get too excited about a guy named Wojnarowski being an expert on basketball. You know me.
The article pretty much talked about how unprepared a high school boy from a “cow” town like Starkville was in coming to the bright lights of the NBA. The guy, Bobby Hurley was trying to prepare him to match up with a mature 30 year old “grown ass” man, LeBron James. What rookie wouldn’t be lost.
The article mentioned a learning disability one time towards the end:
“Too many times in this league, they’ll dismiss a guy as, ‘Oh, he can’t think,’ or ‘he’s learning disabled,’ when you could take the time to help him learn,” Williams said.
“Too many times” means that it has been done before. Like I said, there are plenty of professional athletes and professional everything else, including MD’s, who have succeeded with learning disabilities. I don’t know if Travis really has a learning disability or not but I do know that many are being misdiagnosis. If you doubt me, spend a few days in the public schools.
What really “pissed” me off about your little sermon was:
“he would be out of the league with another coach and on the street otherwise”.
Doc, what may I ask were you “implying” in that statement? Is it that Outlaw is a thug maybe and that if it weren’t for basketball he’d be “on the streets”?
I don’t personally know Travis or his family but I have seen him play high school ball many times. I also know that he is a very respectable and humble young man. He actually has a “real” family with a good support system so I doubt he would be on the streets right now, even without basketball.
Furthermore, I don’t believe the Blazers have done any more than any other organization would do if they drafted a guy right out of high school and invested Millions into him. I’m sure he’s not the only rookie who has been given extra practice time. Give me a break.
“samuel, i know you will shove it down my throat if we win tomorrow. just the same i will be very vocal that we win. anyway it will be only one game. mcmillan has a better record”.
Doc, I haven’t even seen the game but from what I can understand, there’s not much to shove in your face. Woody and the Hawks “owned” Mc and the Blazers.
Woody=COY
RLP
March 16th, 2009
6:04 pm
Doc – Thanks for the link on Outlaw. A good story.
doc
March 16th, 2009
6:48 pm
samuel, you missed the point. his disability is he has problem with verbal spatial situations. he has a hard time learning by listening and figuring out where everyone including himself needs to be. as they said he got lost on the court before they intervened. pretty debilitating for a basketball player maybe a sure exit from the league. it can be tested for and is pretty specific.
as far as being on the street it was meant he would be out here where you and i live rather than the comfy confines of the NBA, maybe doing something as insipid as blogging about basketball. it was to show an organization that makes an emphasis on making sure its guys succeed and on the cutting edge of teaching ball. maybe too high brow or intellectual for you as that seems to be your bent.
Melvin
March 16th, 2009
7:07 pm
Will somebody tell the AJC staff that Jermaine O’neal does not play for the Raptors anymore. He’s been in Miami for almost a month now. My gosh. Who come up with these polls. They are wrong often…
Melvin
March 16th, 2009
7:11 pm
Also, how come they omitted Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis in that poll???
ray
March 16th, 2009
7:28 pm
Astro Joe,
Again, easy answer (in response to the rioters outside Phillips). It’s because….Clyde sells t-shirts out there!
No seriously, I don’t recall who Ando was last comparing Horford to. Who knows.
As for KG and The Big Fundamental, yeah they are definitely different when it comes to their approach. I’d have taken either guy. Both put up incredible numbers. But until he got to Boston, weary and nearly played out, KG got the short end of the stick every single time. Bad coaching (except for Saunders), horrible GM, and virtually no real help on the court. Duncan not only got to play with and learn the ropes from David Robinson, but he had the benefit of the same brilliant coach in Popovich, and a shrewd GM.
Doc,
Looks to me like somebody saw what they wanted to see in your post. Wow, I don’t ever remember you saying you thought Travis Outlaw was a thug, or that if it weren’t for basketball, he’d be “in the streets,” as in living on the streets. Where I come from (the real world), if you’re out of the job you were doing (as Outlaw would be if he were suddenly out of the NBA), people called that “out on the street.” As in, jobless. As in, looking for another job. I don’t see what’s so hard to understand. Then again, I don’t have a short attention span and a constant thinly veiled racial agenda…..
Rod,
I see your point, really I do. And I’m not trying to debunk what you’re saying as much as I am offering a different opinion from another angle. No, I don’t believe Marvin is the best defender on this team. He has become a solid one this year, though. No, he’s not better than Josh either. On the perimeter, yeah probably. But Josh is a game-changer on defense. Marvin is more of a steady guy. And no, he’s not going to guard Gasol, West, and Garnett. Those guys are low post guys. We use Horford and Smith to guard them. Marvin’s a SF. But more on this in the next post.
Reggie
March 16th, 2009
7:32 pm
Ray: Great post. Right on point.
Rod aka Sam: I really shouldn’t have put shut down. That’s my bad. The point is he contained him. Maybe you don’t watch the games but Marvin made them work for their points and they didn’t go off on him. I remember right now that when LBJ scored most his points in that quarter it was when Marvin was benched and JS was on him. For Pierce it was the same thing. I would take Marvin over Flip any day. I love Flip but he can get some quick scoring but other than that he does nothing for passing the ball, rebounding, or defense. Earlier this year Marvin was playing mediocre ball. If you watched though the last few weeks he found his groove and confidence. He WAS CREATING HIS OWN SHOT, he was driving hard and getting to the line (believe he was 10-11 at the stripe one night) and he was draining perimeter shot. Also Smith is a help defender. When he is one on one with a guy he isn’t great. What Smith can do well is track down other guys and get blocks. If you stick him out on the perimeter with Danny Granger he will likely get blown by a bit. He could catch him and pack it but who knows. I love Smith and his defense but I like Marvin also. Marvin is better than a few of those guys up there especially Ariza and is only what 22 years old, and you’re calling him a bust. He is our 4th scoring option and has put up 14 ppg 2 years straight and a lot more as of late. Back off the guy and realize your point about being better without him is stupid and uneducated. Of course you have to always criticize something though.
ray
March 16th, 2009
7:48 pm
Rod,
To continue. You’re absolutely right about several guys in the league providing what Marvin does, or doing better. But is that solely a reflection on Marvin and those other players, or is it also a reflection on the teams they play for? As stated before, Marvin is more often the 4th option on offense here. Those guys you mentioned in your post? Most of them are option #1 or #2 on offense. But then there’s Tayshaun Prince. Look at his stats. They are almost identical to Marvin’s…I’ll give him the edge on defense. Prince has been a better defender for longer. But Trevor Ariza? I’ll give him this: he’s more aggressive. But I’d rather see how he does starting for a full year first. Who knows, you might be onto something there. The thing is, if it weren’t for Bynum’s injury, Ariza wouldn’t be starting.
As for your question, who would I want on the floor at the end of the game? That’s really hard to say. Depends on who the opposing team has on the floor, what the score is, what we need to do. If we need to defend, I’d rather have Joe, Flip, and Marvin. Leave Bibby out of it. If we need to take a shot, it’s a toss-up. Any one of those guys can hit a shot, and any one of them can shoot a 3. I’d have a hard time picking between Flip and Marvin to be honest. Depends on who has the hot hand. Flip and Bibby might need a screen. Joe and Marvin are big enough to get a shot off against most guys who would be defending them. And all four can hit free throws. See my point? It’s not as simple as it looks.
As for Marvin being a #2 pick, does than not say more about the guy who drafted him than it does about the player himself? Wouldn’t you say that Josh Smith looks better than a #17 pick? Yet that is where he was picked. Ariza was picked 43rd overall (second round). To me, where a guy is picked is more about how people see him than about how he actually is.
By the way, if Marvin is so mediocre, how the heck are we going to convince the LA Clippers to trade a good starting center for him? They already have Thornton. And I’ll be you think he’s better than Marvin, too. So why would they do that?
ray
March 16th, 2009
8:01 pm
Reggie,
Thanks. I used to clown Marvin all the time. But he really is better this year. We just have so many options on offense (when we get our heads out of our butts and quit trying to do everything from the backcourt). It actually works out good for us a lot of times when Marvin defers the ball. Smith and Horford are our low post guys. Marvin is not that type. Yet, JJ and Bibby are our perimeter threats. That leaves Marvin (who does a bit of slashing, a bit of perimeter shooting) floating in space.
Marvin was picked 2nd, but that was because our GM then had a major forward fetish. He’s never consistently been the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd offensive option for this team. It’s never been designed that way. So I’m okay with his production. Now if Josh gets traded for a center, then I expect more out of Marvin. And we’ll probably get it, too.
Reggie
March 16th, 2009
8:08 pm
Exactly and I don’t know if these guys watch games because how could they have not seen his progress the last month or two. He got confidence and started really showing some stuff. He actually became our 2rd maybe even 2nd scoring option for a bit. Last year I couldn’t stand Marv and wanted him gone but I have loved his game lately. I’m not sure where Rod aka Sam gets this thing that Marvin can’t create his own shot.
Woody
March 16th, 2009
9:09 pm
Ray who do you think is the 2nd best overall player on our team?
The bird
March 16th, 2009
9:13 pm
Reggie ad Ray your posts have been truly right. your points are extremely accurate. I really enjoy reading your blogs. Sam and Rod are insane.
HawksFan85
March 16th, 2009
9:32 pm
It’s probably a roommate / laptop thing again.
ProudTechFan
March 16th, 2009
9:39 pm
I was at the game as well and it was good to see Joe get off early. I think he scored the first 12 of the hawks 14 points. I did get worried when Roy started to heat up, but the defense picked up late and thats what made the difference. I like the intensity Za Za plays with and the attitude of the entire team lately. This last home stand will pay off in the end come playoff time. This team just does not lose at home, and that means alot in the playoffs. I hope we dont get complacent down the stretch, because I dont see any reason why we cant win at least 48 games this season…
Go Hawks !!!
Sam from da Swats
March 16th, 2009
9:43 pm
The bird, you are insane. For you and the rest to sit here and be satisfied with Marvin’s production is ridiculous. He is a number 2 pick and all I hear is, oh he’s improving. He’s only 22, he’s still learning. David Lee is averaging 16 and 12, HE WAS PICK 30TH OVERALL IN THE SAME DRAFT AS MARVIN “DUCK” WILLIAMS. I’m just saying, quit letting this guy off the hook for the bust that he is. He wasn’t even picked to play for the rookies or the sophomores in the All-Star rookie challenge. I mean give me a break. An average player should be picked where Josh Smith was. Josh Smith gets hated on as if he were picked 2nd. Insane? You guys have helped my argument. Ray you said how do we expect the Clippers to trade for Marvin? YOU’RE RIGHT!!! How the hell is anybody going to want this clown. He doesn’t score 20 ppg because he’s the 4th option? Ever wonder why he’s the 4th option? How can a guy who can create his own shot be the 4th option? You guys are incredible!!!
Reggie
March 16th, 2009
9:59 pm
Sam you are truly an idiot. Answer the question I’ve asked 50 times Have you seen Marvin’s play as of late? Also admit you and Rod are the same person.
The Bird
March 16th, 2009
10:06 pm
Sam you sound like a sour old man who has to always complain about something. Go somewhere else. Your points are off mark and old. Who cares if he didn’t make a rookie challenge.
Sam from da Swats
March 16th, 2009
10:07 pm
We are not the same person, dummies. I have seen Marvin’s play. Funny how his play hasn’t constituted a change in stats. He played 26 minutes the last game and had 4…FOUR POINTS!!! Yeah, I see an improvement, what a improvement…great job Marvin! Ur the idiot Reggie!! U hated his game last year and you like his game this year? HE HAS THE SAME STATS AS LAST YEAR, NO IMPROVEMENT!!! WHO’S THE IDIOT?
Sam from da Swats
March 16th, 2009
10:08 pm
The Bird, so do you think Marvin is this great player?
jhan
March 16th, 2009
10:46 pm
Who really cares where Marvin was drafted? What does that have to do with how he’s playing?
I say we permanently move JJ to SF. I really like the front line of JJ/Smith/Horfod. In the offseason we use the combination of cap space (Bibby/ZaZa) players (JChill/Marvin) & our 1st round pick to fill out the squad.
Plenty of money available to put together a nice squad.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 17th, 2009
12:01 am
I think Joe’s game is suited to small forward too, because his physical strength is well above average while his quickness is below average for a shooting guard. It depends on the matchup though… I wouldn’t want to play him at SF against a team like Houston for example, where he’d be matched up against Artest all game.
jhan
March 17th, 2009
12:22 am
Joe is so versatile you could play him at 1-3 depending on the matchups.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 17th, 2009
3:42 am
Sean Williams arrested for throwing computers in Denver
Maybe we were wrong all along. Maybe he needs to smoke more weed.
Awaiting comment from Clyde.