Show Flip the Money
Rod Tidwell and Hawks sixth man Flip Murray both rolled the dice and won.HAWKSVILLE - Flip Murray's made his case.
HAWKSVILLE -Flip Murray’s already made his case.
The Hawks aren’t yet done with this regular season or even the playoffs.
But one thing has become clear, the Hawks’ sixth man of the present needs to remain their sixth man for the future.
Flip MurrayMurray is the Rod Tidwell of this Hawks' season and they'll have to show him the "Quan" this summer.
Someone just jokingly asked me if I was Murray’s agent for writing something like this. Of course, I’m not. But if I were, this would be one client I wouldn’t be worried about heading into the summer.
Some team will show Murray the “Quan” this summer. And the Hawks need to be that team.
After all, Murray’s performance this year isn’t that of some mercenary on his latest job. I asked him after his season-high 30-point night against Minnesota Monday if he was upset about coming out before he could get one more bucket and set a new career high.
He gave me an are-you-serious look I wish I could have frozen and shown to you.
“I don’t care about nothing like that,” Murray said. “That wasn’t about me showboating or trying to get stats. We were trying to win that game and take care of our business. That’s all.”
Murray’s affinity for this team and for Atlanta has been obvious from the start. He was on his way to Russia before the Hawks had to scramble for replacements when Josh Childress bolted for Greece (they got Murray and valuable veteran pick up Mo Evans).
Murray’s history with Hawks GM Rick Sund (in Seattle, which isn’t nearly as colorful as his rise from Philly playground legend to NBA regular ) no doubt played a role in his choosing to remain stateside and play on a one-year deal (at a bargain basement price of $1.5 million). But give Murray credit for making the most of the opportunity.
And as for this summer, when suitors will be lining up to inquire about his services for the future, the Hawks will have one major chip on their side (not that these things are always valid once negotiating time begins).
There weren’t 29 other teams calling him and asking him to delay his departure for Russia.
There was only one.
HAWKS AND SPURS GO AT IT LIVE HERE IN JUST MINUTES
No Tim Duncan for the Spurs as the Hawks try and extend their home winning-streak to nine games and clinch a playoff berth on the same night against the four-time champs.
Duncan is sitting out the second night of a back-to-back for the second time this season, per my Spurs counterpart Mike Monroe. Something about resting the big fella to make sure he’s feeling just right come playoff time.
What a novel approach!
Game time.
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262 comments Add your comment
welikebaseball2
March 25th, 2009
8:42 pm
ValdostaMike:
We can all appreciate you enlightening us “dumb” fans, but have you noticed that the Hawks actually have NOT helped much on defense tonight? See: Horford continuously ending up in man coverage against Parker.
ValdostaMike
March 25th, 2009
8:42 pm
Finally
ValdostaMike
March 25th, 2009
8:45 pm
welikebaseball2, was not referring to you, but if you are one of the “few”…
The pick and roll is a killer, they do not play street ball, and it creates mismatches. But many of the outside shots are uncontested because the pick and roll leaves 2 guys on the pick or because Parker is breaking ankles and defenders are closing on the lane.
bigdave
March 25th, 2009
8:45 pm
give the ball up Mike geesh!!
Fred
March 25th, 2009
8:45 pm
man, how can that stat be true about the Spurs fouling so little? They look like a bunch of goons to me.
bigdave
March 25th, 2009
8:47 pm
thats how you give the ball up…
MAC-TOWN
March 25th, 2009
8:47 pm
SA is loving all of those jump shots. Odds just tell me they cant knock them down for the rest of the way in the same manner as just did when they stretched the lead. We have to capitalize when they start bricking them. I would hate for us to make it close then get KILLED by daggers from Finley and Mason. Good players to have on your team but absolutely dreadful when they are the opposition.
A-TownDown
March 25th, 2009
8:48 pm
All I’m saying is I dont like teams that win and do good for just one year. I want teams that win year after year. the falcons have been like that win one year then lose like crazy the next. The hawks are my team and no one else but if they aint careful they will not win next year. They have bibby and murray up for contracts in the offseason and neither has to come back because they are unrestricted agents. does it make you feel good to know that you might have for point guard next year just acie law and mario west. Rick sund will do what he did with the josh boys and wait too long but neither guy has to wait on him so they will go to other teams. Then we are left looking stupid trying to play acie law for a guy that dont even like him. Thats what I’m saying.
But sign bibby and watch us still have trouble anyway because he only gets slower and older. Who is guarding tony parker right now, al horford thats who. bibby is a waste.
bigdave
March 25th, 2009
8:50 pm
“things are happening here”
-Bob Rathmun
Fred
March 25th, 2009
8:50 pm
Why bring Joe back in for :20? Let him have his rest.
ValdostaMike
March 25th, 2009
8:50 pm
I am not sanctifying Bibby, but he is better than Speedy Claxton.
Fred
March 25th, 2009
8:51 pm
there you go,
Fred
March 25th, 2009
8:52 pm
Nice job by Woody with the subs there, worked out nicely, I am so glad we did not go with the Flip iso play to end the 3rd. I really hope that we do not see that the rest of the season. It works about 15% of the time.
KevinA
March 25th, 2009
8:52 pm
Anybody think Flip should play 36 min every night? For the Josh bashers, this team would go no where without him.
welikebaseball2
March 25th, 2009
8:55 pm
ValdostaMike: Fair enough. Wasn’t picking a fight with you. Just mad that it took us 3 quarters to adjust to the same pick & roll play. Parker is indeed breaking ankles. It’s just inexcusable for him to have so many uncontested layups. Push come to shove, guys have absolutely got to leave their men to prevent layups.
Blast
March 25th, 2009
8:55 pm
Brand new ball game going into the 4th. Can the Hawks pull it off? I didn’t think the Spurs could continue to make every shot they throw up at the perimeter, but we’ll see. parker is gonna want to drive.
Watch out for Parker in the 4th. Hawks need to stop switching the pick and roll. Parker is killing us when he has AL.
Hawks must guard the 3 point line.
Hawks keep driving. SA will foul you. Put them over the limit early.
A-TownDown
March 25th, 2009
8:56 pm
that is only because claxton cant stay healthy to play so I guess I see your point. But claxton does say he is healthy again. I would rather see rick sund pay flip murray the money next season than bibby. he is better on defense and can actually penetrate unlike bibby who does neither and is awful defending anybody. When you centers are guarding point guards it is so stupid obvious that bibby is no good on defending. I thought woody woodpecker likes defense so much but guess not cause bibby plays thirty eight minutes of no defense.
Sekou K. Smith
March 25th, 2009
8:56 pm
How the Hawks are even in this game is a mystery to me. The Spurs have shot the lights out and the neither Josh Smith nor Al Horford has played particularly well, and the game is tied going into the fourth quarter.
welikebaseball2
March 25th, 2009
8:58 pm
Sure Flip’s shooting lights out, but think we’ll get an assist out of him at the point guard position tonight?
bigdave
March 25th, 2009
8:58 pm
Mario for Bibby PLEASE!!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 25th, 2009
9:01 pm
It is amazing how the Spurs manage to find the most favorable matchup on the floor every single time. I just wonder how good the Hawks would be if Popovich was the head coach. It’s not like the Spurs make every shot, but they ALWAYS seem to be either taking open shots in rhythm or isolating a bigger player on a smaller player or a quicker player on a slower player. Coaching like that is what makes this team elite, and is also why going on the road in a tough environment doesn’t phase them.
Sekou K. Smith
March 25th, 2009
9:02 pm
He’s got two bigdave!
Fred
March 25th, 2009
9:02 pm
Sekou, are you serious?
The Spurs are playing with a bunch of scrubs off the NBA scrap pile. The Hawks should win this game by 15. Mike Woodson is so over his head its unbelievable.
What a terrible start to the 4th quarter. My frustration level is through the roof. If we lose to this bunch of scrubs with no Duncan and an out of shape Ginobli, I will start to have serious concerns about our playoff future.
A-TownDown
March 25th, 2009
9:02 pm
The spurs are beating the hawks without duncan because horford and pachulia have to guard parker. How crazy is that because the hawks should be winning. Instead bibby jacks one bad shot after another and tries to hide at the back of the defense zone. he sucks
welikebaseball2
March 25th, 2009
9:02 pm
Same story, Parker breaks down his man then drives to the hole for an uncontested layup. Flip runs the offense on the other end & either hits a shot or takes everyone else out of the flow with a missed shot from one-on-one.
ValdostaMike
March 25th, 2009
9:03 pm
We are playing a bunch of veteran pros tonight, glad Duncan is in street clothes.
A-TownDown, if my dumb-ass was running things we would still have Childress and I wouldn’t have know who Flip Murray was.
welikebaseball2, being a fan is very frustrating. I love baseball!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 25th, 2009
9:03 pm
Joe Johnson may not draw many fouls when he throws up those floaters, but he’s got that floater game working today, and it looks great.
welikebaseball2
March 25th, 2009
9:04 pm
Keep the big man out of one-on-one against Parker out of the pick and roll!!!!!! (insert scream here)
bigdave
March 25th, 2009
9:04 pm
Carry us Joe…!!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 25th, 2009
9:04 pm
Haha just as I say that, Joe draws the and-1 on the floater…
Fred
March 25th, 2009
9:07 pm
We are about to blow the “gimme” game of the next 3…all the good will this season will go out the door by Sunday afternoon if we do not find a way to beat a mediocre Spurs team, right now.
bigdave
March 25th, 2009
9:08 pm
Tony Parker is impossible to defend cause he drops low and drives into his defender in penetration all while being able to finish… he’s like a mini (emphasis on mini) LBJ…
KevinA
March 25th, 2009
9:08 pm
Ladies and Gentleman, now you see what a real point guard is. While everybody screams for a big, we need one of them parker type fellers.
Melvin
March 25th, 2009
9:09 pm
At what point do you run 2 guys at Parker…
welikebaseball2
March 25th, 2009
9:09 pm
Hey Mike Woodson, you should see the game. Parker is killing in one-on-one matchups. Wish you could catch it. They’re not even double-teaming him. You should see it!
O'brien
March 25th, 2009
9:09 pm
Teams like this show what Bibby is truly worth. We need a PG who can defend his position so JJ doesn’t have to. If Bibby is not hitting shots, he is totally ineffective.
MAC-TOWN
March 25th, 2009
9:10 pm
embarrasing…atleast the heat are losing
bigdave
March 25th, 2009
9:10 pm
scoring point guards will murk us…
see… Devin Harris, Moe Williams, Billups
bigdave
March 25th, 2009
9:12 pm
see… thats what happens when u have to put your defensively challenged pg on a big… b/c ur big has to defend a guard… u get killed on the glass…
Najeh Davenpoop
March 25th, 2009
9:13 pm
There is never a “gimme” game when you are playing the Spurs coached by Gregg Popovich, even if Duncan is out.
bigdave
March 25th, 2009
9:13 pm
why is Bibby in the game… bring in Mario, we need stops… Joe, Flip, Josh is all we need on the offensive end… Bibby is just going to chuck em up, bad shots and all…
KevinA
March 25th, 2009
9:14 pm
If the Heat loses, no harm no foul.
bigdave
March 25th, 2009
9:14 pm
Obrien i said what he was useless a looooooooooong time ago…
KirkinGa will defend u to death that he isnt…
bigdave
March 25th, 2009
9:15 pm
he is short, slow, and cant jump to even contest…!!
KevinA
March 25th, 2009
9:16 pm
They are just a better team with a better coach, if A, Josh or Bibby would have hit a higher percentage – who knows.
welikebaseball2
March 25th, 2009
9:16 pm
In defense of Bibby, there aren’t too many guys in the league that could guard Parker one-on-one tonight with the zone he’s in. He’s hit shots over more than just Bibby tonight. See, he just took Flip. Can’t say that I disagree with Bibby being a defensive liability overall though.
ValdostaMike
March 25th, 2009
9:17 pm
I really do not think the ONLY difference is coaching. Pop’s is a top 5 coach, but his players are also coachable. Some of our guys are great athletes but not mental giants. Horford understands the game, but he has been befuddled tonight. Josh looks like he is taking the SATs.
bigdave
March 25th, 2009
9:17 pm
1 guy killed us the whole night…
Blast
March 25th, 2009
9:18 pm
Ball game!
This sucks, man.
Spurs played great though. They have a very good road record.
ValdostaMike
March 25th, 2009
9:18 pm
$12 milllion dunk by Josh