Where will the Hawks go for the playoffs? South Beach or Philly?

tbhawksfan

March 31st, 2009
11:34 am

We match up better against the Heat, but it would be exciting to watch the Hawks beat the +ers athletic squad.

doc

March 31st, 2009
11:42 am

geez, i havent even read the story yet but this is amazing and i didnt have to go far to se it:

• By the time they have been retired for two years, 78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce.

• Within five years of retirement, an estimated 60% of former NBA players are broke.

that was presumedly while the economy was good. ouch!

smartguy

March 31st, 2009
11:55 am

Here’s the plan: trade Joe Johnson for the second or third pick, and take Thabeet. If you have to throw in Marvin or the rights for Chills, that’s fine, but the goal would be to end up with a **front line of Thabeet, Horford, and Smith.** Losing JJ would hurt, but he’s probably leaving next year anyway. Then, with our own pick, I would take Toney Douglas. Try to keep Evans and Murray.

And, of course, PLEASE FIRE MIKE WOODSON.

O'brien

March 31st, 2009
12:25 pm

Sekou, I would prefer to play Miami in round 1 (although Wade might get 30 every game). Against Philly, there is Andre Miller (who is a good passer), and will post up Bibby, Dalembert is long, and we still have to worry about the athleticism of Thad young and Iggy. And dont they have Reggie Evans and Louis Williams coming off the bench?

The Hawks need to make a statement tonight to let Philly know that we can beat them on the road.

MannyT

March 31st, 2009
12:28 pm

Reading the first page was enough to get the basics of a familiar, but sad story. Pro athletes have no idea what to do with large sums of money if they did not come from significant wealth.

It amazes and disturbs me that the pro athlete unions don’t do more to funnel these players toward organizations that have consistently helped their peers to manage wealth. It’s not like this is a new industry. Even in the world of having an entourage, SOMEONE (i.e. a wealth manager that is not your cousin Shifty) needs to allocate allowances so the main revenue source (athlete/entertainer) can sustain fiscal stability beyond his playing days.

This is why I was so impressed when I read an article about Marvin & Chills last summer where they were hanging out and saving meal money on road trips.

There are more programs to help them these days, but there are also many more bad influences in the ears of young athletes at earlier stages in their lives. Maybe they should learn something from the dad/uncle of the prep school classmate that paid full tuition to attend Super Prep Elite HS.

At least it looks like the NFL side is doing more to help their players.
http://wsb.wharton.upenn.edu/activities_businessedu.htm

terrell barron

March 31st, 2009
12:30 pm

Doc, that’s interesting, but I dont believe it. 78%? 60%? That statistic was probably done before the NFL started handing out outrageous signing bonuses, and before NBA players got GUARANTEED contracts. If you retire in 2009 and your’re broke in 2013, your’re either stupid, an idiot, dumb, or you made some bad “cousin” investments(buying barber shops, hair salons, beauty parlors, clothing stores, restaurants, car detail shops, etc… for your kinfolks.) Reason I say this, is I’ve seen it happened. I was related to Charles Martin. R.I.P. Remember the guy that slammed Brett Farve after the whistle had blown? So It does happen. But 78 and 60% seems a bit too high. And speaking of the draft Sekou, my little cuz,(Chris Singleton) stopped by the house the other day and said he has been told that he COULD be a 1st rd pick. He asked me what I thought about his draft status, and I just told him to pray about it. I’ve seen him going in the 2nd in most of the NBA mocks. The guy really needs his father right now, but he was sensesly gunned down on College Spring break in my old neighborhood back in the late 80’s. I was there. I did’nt see the shhooting but I heard the gun shot, and ran down the street and saw him llying there coverd in blood. What a tragedy. He met a girl, girl had a daughter, daughter told father he disciplined her, argument started, Dad went Berzerk, and killed a good friend of mine. Was out of prison in 5 years. Just sad. Chris is the spitting image of his father. When I saw him, it brought up something that I will never forget. Just thought I’d share that story with my fellow Hawks fans. R.I.P. Carl Singleton. Go FSU.

MannyT

March 31st, 2009
12:33 pm

Sekou,

I don’t get to make the trip, so the opponent doesn’t matter as much to me. The food is more fun in Philly, but the sights of South Beach are so far beyond Philly’s South Street, you cannot put them in the same category.

All that said, I think we match up better against Miami. If you slow down Wade, the Hawks should win easily. In Philly, the options are not as talented, but there are more ways for them to attack.

Tonight’s game should be a good barometer of how we fare against a hungry team that is scrapping for playoff position. A win tonight could send a message. How about a little Mario on Iggy–just for a few minutes to put a wrinkle in the game.

BWAF

jhan

March 31st, 2009
1:18 pm

I like that front line from a defensive standpoint. Offensively who would score? All three of them need to shoot inside the paint to be effective. Not enough room for all three down low.

Ken Strickland

March 31st, 2009
1:20 pm

SMARTGUY-I was about to take issue with your frontline of Smoove(SF), Thabett(C) and Horford(PF), but when I saw your very last sentence, I lost my desire. Seriously, who would do the scoring, especially from the outside, with JJ and Marvin gone? Smoove will likely never be an effective or efficient outside shooter, Horford just doesn’t seem ti have a volume shooters mentality and Thabeet just isn’t a scorer of any kind at this point.

Even with Bibby, we have trouble offensively when he’s off, so what would we do if he’s all we have, assuming we can resign him. And we all know he’s too limited to deal with the constant double teams he’d certainly face if we got rid of both Marvin and JJ. If Acie takes over at PG, we limit our outside scoring options even further. With that lineup, teams would just sit back in a tight zone DEF and wait for us to throw up brinks. Besides, as much as Woodson’s OFF scheme is based on outside shooting ability, how OFF limited would we be?

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
1:23 pm

I’ve enjoyed Mojitoes on South Beach and Cheesesteaks on South Street. A very difficult choice.

I agree with Manny, Miami is the better match-up because shutting down one player (Wade) seems easier to do than to deal with 3-4 guys from Philly who can really hurt you in any given game.

From the last blog, someone called Philly the next “up and coming team”. Remember that they made the playoffs last year. So they are not exactly new to this. They just had to crawl back up after a horrific start.

Lastly, we’re NOT a running team. That went away with the Greek afro. Bibby, Joe and even Flip seem much more interested in half-court sets. While our front-court can certainly out-race their opposition, the tandem with the ball seemingly has little interest in pushing the tempo. And Bibby usually has very, very, very poor games against Philly (is his father still an assistant in Philly?). I’m looking forward to tonight’s game… in some ways this is a more realistic test than playing the league’s elite last week. This is a test to see if we’re still “the best of the rest”.

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
1:25 pm

smartguy, and exactly who is going to score for that team… especially when 98% of the opposition plays zone defense?

terrell barron

March 31st, 2009
1:26 pm

Smartguy, Trade JJ and Marvin for the 3rd pick in the draft???? I thought we were trying to go forward, not backwards. And with Thabeet, Horford, and Josh Smith on the frontline, where’s the scoring going to come from? Flip cant do it all. And who’s going to guard the opposing teams SF? Smith? Flip? Mo? I’ve got 4 words for you on that proposal. Hell to the naw!!!

niremetal

March 31st, 2009
1:26 pm

If you haven’t seen this video with JJ yet, you’re missing out. Seriously.

Of course, anyone who can’t answer the question at the end of the video should be banned forever from this blog.

G State Ben

March 31st, 2009
1:35 pm

Smartguy: Mo Evans is under contract next year for a cool $2.5 million. I agree with you that Flip needs to be signed (he’s in for a big pay day considering he signed for $1.5 million this offseason). No way they trade Joe. Not a chance. I’d be okay with the Toney Douglas pick (J’boro represent) but you aren’t grabbing him in the 1st round. I’d rather sit back and see what happens in front of you and grab a BJ Mullens or Johnny Flynn at #19.

4 is the magic number folks to clinch the #4 seed folks…Now You Know.

niremetal

March 31st, 2009
1:42 pm

And wow…this little anti-Celtics gem escaped my attention last week. Who knew that BASG had a good sense of humor?

And smartguy…you really want to trade a 3-time All-Star in the prime of his career who can play 2-3 positions to take a shot at a big man who probably will turn out to be a poor man’s Mutombo? AND you’re willing to throw in Marvin, our second best offensive player when healthy, to make it happen? Where will our offense come from?? Do you really think that Josh and Al will pick up the slack for that loss of production? Especially when it means moving Smoove to the 3, where he’ll end up taking even more jumpers than he does now?

niremetal

March 31st, 2009
1:44 pm

Heh. I see that jhan, Ken, Astro, and terrell all beat me to the punch. Sorry folks. Just watch the videos and pretend I don’t exist.

niremetal

March 31st, 2009
1:55 pm

terrell,

If you retire in 2009 and your’re broke in 2013, your’re either stupid, an idiot, dumb, or you made some bad “cousin” investments

Terrell, I would absolutely not put it past them. People think that MC Hammer and Jack Clark are the exception in the entertainment industry when it comes to poor financial planning. The sad thing is that they are not, but most of the financial problems never get talked about because it does not usually happen while the athlete is still playing and because it happens most often to third-tier players. Most athletes don’t understand (or don’t care) that $2M per year is not a lot of money (especially after taxes) if you are trying to live the same lifestyle as people who are making $20M/year (as star players do after endorsement money). And most athletes do try to live that way. Cliff Levingston was a good example from the Hawks of old – he tried to play “keeping up with the Joneses” with ‘Nique and nearly went bankrupt as a result.

Some sports agents and law firms insist on their clients hiring financial managers, but most do not. So I’m not surprised at all by the stats in that article.

niremetal

March 31st, 2009
1:57 pm

Heh, here’s that link to the anti-Celtics video that I was talking about

RLP

March 31st, 2009
2:24 pm

G State Ben – “4 is the magic number folks to clinch the #4 seed folks…Now You Know.”

I think you are wrong. If the Hawks lose four games including tonight’s game against the ’76’s AND the 76’s win out the two teams would have identical records at 47 – 35. By winning tonight the 76’s would hold the tie breaker and thus would get the fourth seed. Therefore our magic number is 5. As I posted earlier a Hawks win would reduce our magic number against the 76’s to 2 making the task a whole lot easier.

Sautee

March 31st, 2009
2:31 pm

AJ, did you drool on your keyboard at the cheesesteak photo?

Ryno

March 31st, 2009
2:39 pm

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Wes

March 31st, 2009
3:00 pm

Sekou, Jim’s on 4th and South Street is the best place to get a cheesestaek in Philly. And frankly I’d prefer to play them, who wants to see D-Wade go off on the home team in the playoffs?

doc

March 31st, 2009
3:26 pm

tb i didnt write it and i dont know why the writer would make it up nor sekou recommend it if it was false. you are free to believe whatever you want.

folks, i dont know why folks continue to chop at josh but quotes like this suggest there is more the warrior mentality to him that folks will embellish:

“I can’t tell you the last time we played a game that didn’t seem like our entire season was on the line at the opening tip,” Hawks forward Josh Smith said. “Philadelphia is an interesting team for us because they match up pretty well against us. And the way they play that up-tempo style, they’re going to challenge you to either run with them or put your own stamp on the game. We have to make sure the game is played the way we want it played.”

i think for the most part he gets it and comes to play with the intensity most of his counterparts dont have night in and night out. al, zaza and josh continue though undersized to do the dirty work at a value most teams dont have for “bigs”.

JOSH = MVP!

bigeasy830

March 31st, 2009
3:33 pm

By know it all Ken Strickland, the reason the Hawks are so inconsistent is because they rely to much on the outside shot. Al horford is a beast and could easily be a 20 and 10 guy if the hHwks feed him the ball in the low post. Now, Smartguy, I would not trade JJ, but I understand you logic. Al Horford is a beast but his development is being hamperd by his teams guard play. JJ and Bibby do not penetrate and dish and the Hawks seldomly run pick and rolls using the big men. If the Hawks are not careful they will lose their best player which is Al Horford in a couple of years to a team that will utilize him properly. By know it all Ken Strickland,”Horford just doesn’t seem to have a volume shooters mentality”, no big man can shot it if the guards don’t get it to him. The Hawks need to play more inside out basketball. Al And Smooth are very good passers and Al have great post moves, Smooth need to play more under control but Al should be no less than the second option on this team maybe the first. JJ is a great player but he is Robin not Batman. Al could be Batman, just like Jordan and Pippen, or better yet, Hakeem Olajuwon and Drexler.

Holla and see you all in the PLAYOFFS BABY!!!!!!!!!

newkid

March 31st, 2009
3:41 pm

The team that picks up Thabeet had better have offensive potency elsewhere in its frontline. He won’t help in this category for several years, if ever. His stature and timing makes him a shot blocking treat on the defensive end against sides playing set offenses. Don’t see him being much of a force on defense against sides that run the ball off rebounds and made baskets (unless he gets in much better shape). If Carolina and UConn meet for the championship, it’ll be interesting to watch just how effective he is getting after Lawson and his thoroughbreds pushing the ball at every opportunity, with the help of a bench that is effective to the the 9th or 10th player.

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
3:52 pm

doc, so was the warrior injured when he allowed Odom to out-rebound him by 20 in the first game after the All-Star Game? Maybe he was riding a scooter with Monta Ellis? Probably a “Ninja Moped”.

Sautee, sorry for the delayed response… I needed to go and find a replacement keyboard after I broke the previous one. I plan to bill Sekou for making me drool all over the frwakin thing. Thanks for asking.

Elijah

March 31st, 2009
4:19 pm

Trade Joe and Duck for Thabeet?

LOL you better change your name on here soon

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
4:29 pm

Smartguy,

That’s a bad trade. Even if you’re trying to get a guy like Blake Griffin.

Doc,

Your tag line is a killer. : ) You’re going to give ol’ Astro Josh-basher a heart attack…well, if one (or a dozen) of those cheese steaks doesn’t do it first…

BigEasy830,

Looks like you have all the answers to Ken’s stuff. Does that then make YOU the true “know it all?”

Sekou,

Give me Miami all day long. Wade will bring it, but he’s got a young, inexperienced, and broken supporting cast. Philly knows just how to beat us, and has just the right advantages at just the right spots. Dalembert is a long, lean 7′1″ and can give Horford plenty of trouble. Andre Miller vs. Bibby. Ouch. And you can’t hide Bibby against these guys either. Who’s he gonna guard? Willie Green? Yeah right.

Who’s guarding Thad Young? Josh Smith, probably. So that puts Mo Evans on Iguodala. Ouch again.

Louis Williams coming off the bench. Reggie Evans coming off the bench. Ouch and ouch. No, I don’t want Philly. Give me Miami.

The one good thing about Philly is that they don’t have outside shooting. But that’s only a comfort if you’re not allowing much of anything inside. And there’s the rub. The Sixers run, and they get to the hole. Can we stop them?

Marcus

March 31st, 2009
4:29 pm

Sekou,
I read that story in SI and showed my wife (a financial planner). Eye opening to the depth of the losses adn general gullibility of entertainers, even though past events with MC Hammer, Vick, Holyfield, may have been a snapshot, but may have belied the breadth of how rampant poor money management is for young entertainers and athletes.

Marcus

March 31st, 2009
4:31 pm

Sekou,
Wanna drop this on you again, since it probably got lost in teh sea of responses in a blog a couple of weeks ago:
Knowing what you know are teh Hawks weaknesses, what player(s) should get serious consideration for us, given our relative draft position (somewhere in the 20s)?

Ken Strickland

March 31st, 2009
4:42 pm

BIGEASY830-I don’t know where you got that from, but you weren’t quoting me because I’ve never said any of that. The idea of me being a know it all could only come from someone that apparently knows too little.

A lot of fans want us to acquire a talented starting BIG, but that would necessitate getting rid of either Horford or Smoove. Switching Smoove to the 3 simply isn’t a viable option. We need a PG that can shoot, penetrate, play DEF, run an uptempo OFF and is acceptable to Woodson, more than we need a starting BIG. He should be a combination of Acie and Bibby. It wouldn’t hurt to have a serviceable BIG with good OFF and DEF skills coming off the bench, assuming Woodson would let him off the bench.

As far as which team I prefer we meet in the playoffs, I want us to play the one that gives us the toughest competition. If we’re going to become an Eastern power, and elite NBA team, we’ve got to start doing a better job of (1)winning on the road, (2)beating the better teams consistently and (3)making tactical adjustments during gms, instead of waiting until we’ve encounted 2 or 3 losses in a week.

I WANT THIS TEAM TO GET BETTER, AND WE ALL KNOW ONE WAY THAT CAN HAPPEN.

Sekou K. Smith

March 31st, 2009
4:46 pm

I said it before and I’ll say it again Marcus, you go with a big or pg (best available) in the draft if you don’t move the pick and Speedy’s contract for a vet at either position. There’s nothing scientific about it. Just get it done.

And as for Jim’s, I have no complaints with the texture of the meat and the bread is fantastic, but the cheesesteak was lacking in the cheese department. I liked the chicken philly at Ishkabibbles (right across the street from Jim’s). I’m more of a po-boy kind of guy anyway, but there will be no more trips to New Orleans this season unless the Hawks and Hornets turn the NBA upside down the next two months. Ha.

SWAT Native

March 31st, 2009
5:02 pm

Ken Strickland, I’ve been meaning to ask you – did you graduate from Southwest High School?

As for the Hawks, this will be an excellent test for them tonight. As to which team you should prefer to face, I remember Hubie Brown saying once that the team that you try to get to match up with in the playoffs always seems to beat you.

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
5:02 pm

For those of you suggesting the Hawks draft a PG… if the Hawks don’t trade up, you do realize that they may be drafting the 5th or 6th best PG in the draft, right?

Sekou, you forgot the most important ingredient when it comes to cheeseteak… the grease! That’s what gives it flavor, WTF is wrong with you, man? Bread? I don’t need no stinkin’ bread! GREASE IS THE WORD!!!

Elijah

March 31st, 2009
5:03 pm

Sekou, what are the insurance implications if Speedy plays? Is he going to be activated?

dmortone

March 31st, 2009
5:05 pm

Best case offseason scenario? I’m too lazy to number crunch, but the Blazers(Pryzbilla), Hornets(Chandler) or Clippers(Kaman or Camby) or some other team feels the economic crunch and decide to offload contracts for scraight cash, Speedy’s insurance-paid(I think) contract, Chillz, and our number 1 pick(good value for servicable player). Sund said we don’t need rooks, teams young enough as it is.

Resign Bibby, Flip and Marvin, let Zaza walk cause we have 3 starter caliber bigs now, slide Josh to the bench and divide the frontcourt minutes in thirds so Josh, Al and new Big(Chandler! hey, they were trying to get rid of him for pennies on the dollar) get around 32 minutes a night, Acie develops a consistant 3 point shot, give JJ a nice little extension, expect a little natural growth from not-yet-in-their-prime Al, Josh, and Marvin, Woody decides run an offensive system and badda bing, championship contender!

I like that pipe dream.

Personally, I think the Woody part is the most unrealistic of it.

terrell barron

March 31st, 2009
5:53 pm

Dmortone, Josh to the bench?? Yeah right. I’d like to see that. He and Woody would go at it like pitbulls.

Elijah

March 31st, 2009
6:14 pm

Sekou, what are the insurance implications if Speedy plays? Is he going to be activated??

The Truth

March 31st, 2009
6:22 pm

You guys layoff smartguy; he’s entitled to at least one mistake. Smartguy; man, that’s an outrageous plan though; make another one like that and these guys will pounce.

Ken Strickland

March 31st, 2009
6:41 pm

SWAT NATIVE-sorry, but like old CLYDE, I’m from Alabama, although I’m not a Univ of Alabama fan.

fudd21

March 31st, 2009
6:47 pm

Ken what part of Alabame you from. Roll Tide!!

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
7:14 pm

3 of the 1st 4 shots are jumpers…

ajw

March 31st, 2009
7:17 pm

yeah! Josh made the dunk!

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
7:23 pm

WTF. 3 straight turnovers. 6 turnovers in the first 7mins..

ajw

March 31st, 2009
7:25 pm

You can’t have these types of mistakes. -Dominique

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
7:25 pm

Mike Bibby guy (Green) already has 9pts in the 1st qtr. Get Flip in there.

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
7:30 pm

if that aint karma…

Sekou K. Smith

March 31st, 2009
7:31 pm

Thaddeus Young just went down with a sprained ankle with 2:15 to play in the first quarter. It was a nasty fall and one that could cost him some time. He’s having to be helped off the floor right now because he can’t put any weight on his right foot. WOW. That’s a blow for the Sixers down the stretch because the former Georgia Tech star is having a great sophomore season.

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
7:34 pm

Sekou, looks like he sprain his ankle as his right foot came down on top Josh…

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
7:36 pm

BS call. How many guys make that same move…

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
7:37 pm

Josh has 10 of the Hawks 16pts 1st qtr points…

Sekou K. Smith

March 31st, 2009
7:38 pm

Sorry Joe, I’m a Po-Boy guy anyway. This cheesesteak thing is uncharted territory for me. And the grease is the one thing I can’t get with on these cheeseteaks. I don’t need any more help expanding the waist line partner.

I think my previous post got lost in translation Elijah in regards to Speedy Claxton’s insurance implications you keep asking about. If the Hawks were pursuing a medical retirement there would be some (a la LaFrentz in Portland). Since they are not “technically” in that mode right now, there’s nothing officially going on with any insurance. That said, I don’t think it’s hard to figure that the reason he isn’t playing right now has something to do with the Hawks’ future plans for him. And that’s too bad, because with Acie Law IV out for the sixth straight game with that lower back injury, the Hawks could use another quick guard against the 76ers (who are cleaning the Hawks’ clock right now 28-16 after one quarter).

ajw

March 31st, 2009
7:42 pm

Its a Royal with cheese sighting!

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
7:43 pm

Man, these refs aint giving us any respect….

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
7:46 pm

Sekou, I think the 1st qtr has answer your question. Bring on MiamT. These Hawks don’t want any part of Philly. Get your Cheesesteaks and get out of there…

ajw

March 31st, 2009
7:49 pm

WOW!

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
7:49 pm

Flip Murray serves up a Marv Albert FACIAL on Louis Williams… My Gosh

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
7:51 pm

Lou didnt learn from Kirk Hinrich…?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdFSzr9Tgaw

doc

March 31st, 2009
7:52 pm

ariose needs to make sure that “poster” stays around for you tube posterity. man that was huge. let’s make something of it hawks.

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
7:58 pm

Bibby and Joe ain’t doing nothing….

Sekou K. Smith

March 31st, 2009
7:59 pm

So what is it the Hawks do when Joe Johnson isn’t making shot? They go to him incessantly on the offensive end and it makes no sense when he’s not making shots. The 76ers couldn’t be happier with that approach. After chewing into that lead the Hawks have stalled again, going to ISO JOE repeatedly over the last two minutes. Craziness.

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
8:02 pm

Bibby and Joe 0-9….

eman

March 31st, 2009
8:05 pm

It’s a real good thing for this team that they MIGHT open the playoffs at home. They open on the road and they’re not going to the 2nd round.

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
8:08 pm

WHY ARE OUR BIGS ALWAYS ON THE PERIMETER AND THE GUARDS DOWN LOW…!?!?!?

niremetal

March 31st, 2009
8:10 pm

You nailed it Sekou. When Joe is cold, we should feed it inside first. Heck, we should feed it inside early even if Joe is feeling it just to keep the defenders from doubling him at every opportunity in the 4th.

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
8:10 pm

We have to push the tempo more and Joe is going to have to roll a big number 2nd half for us to win tonight…

JohnGTFan

March 31st, 2009
8:10 pm

Gotta get my eyes checked again..I swear I thought I saw Atlanta only has only 37 points at halftime

niremetal

March 31st, 2009
8:12 pm

And yes – the turnovers notwithstanding, Smoove had an outstanding first half.

Again, though, games like this make us realize how much we miss Marvin on both ends of the floor.

Sautee

March 31st, 2009
8:25 pm

Matt, you’re right about Marvin. I just told Ray the same thing.

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
8:27 pm

Finally, starting guard hits a shot for the Hawks.

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
8:30 pm

How many offensive foul calls do the Hawks have.

Ken Strickland

March 31st, 2009
8:34 pm

FUDD21-I’m from Etowah county in NE Alabama. I’m currently in Dothan, AL, but I’m in the process of negotiating to buy a house in Stone Mountain. I can’t wait to get out of this cultural and intellectual time warp and back to the ATL.

JohnGTFan

March 31st, 2009
8:36 pm

This games a nailbiter

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
8:38 pm

Joe and Bibby are cold and Woody still going to play them 40+ mins tonight and run the offense thru them…

amazin

March 31st, 2009
8:40 pm

People wonder why Smith doesn’t respect Woodson. This gam is a perfect reason why. He is on fire and Woodson keeps trying to post Joe up. Smith has Evans on him. The only one playing well and he is standing at the 3pt line watching Joe do nothing.

JohnGTFan

March 31st, 2009
8:41 pm

ANOTHER one of those good nights to rest JJ, Bibby and Smoove and play the bench to get them time. The bench players need some game-time minutes before the playoffs actually start.

trint

March 31st, 2009
8:45 pm

Why is everyone so stuck on the Hawks having the fourth spot. Truth be told they can and have shown to lose at home and we all see that they can not and will not win on the road, so what makes it such a big thing for them to have the 4th spot. I have never in my life witnessed a team that can’t do anything right on the road. The Hawks will not get out of the first round of the playoffs. Mark it I said it here

ajw

March 31st, 2009
8:50 pm

WAM!

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
8:51 pm

Josh ends the qtr with a Montser Jam over Dalembert. Josh has made 11 shots in a row…. Where are all his haters now….. Louder, we can’t hear you…

freshd

March 31st, 2009
8:52 pm

the hawks don”t want no part of philly. these guys match up well against them and they have the hawks number. this year and last year. the hawks better pray for sun and wade.

freshd

March 31st, 2009
8:55 pm

he might throw up ten bricks and four air balls in the 4th.

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
8:55 pm

Yes sir. Here they come. Hawks down by 2….

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
8:55 pm

Niremetal,

No doubts whatsoever that we miss Marvin. Especially against this squad. And thanks for calling Smith’s performance what it is: not perfect, but certainly productive. Nice to know SOME people can be balanced like that.

I still want more boards from him tonight, but can’t argue with his shooting stroke…on the road, no less.

Man, can we re-sign Flip NOW?

Is it just me, or is ‘Nique going to drive Bob Rathbun to drink with his witt-less-icisms? I swear, would he know the difference if the headphones were fake? So what if they say “Fisher Price” ‘Nique…they still work, honestly. Heh heh heh…

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
8:57 pm

Melvin, here I am. Smith sounds like he’s having a heckuva game. Just got in and checked the box score. Let’s go Hawks!

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
8:57 pm

These Refs are killing us…. Bail the 76ers out.

amazin

March 31st, 2009
8:58 pm

“the hawks better pray for sun and wade.” The Hawks better pray for a coach who knows how to run plays for the hot hand. I wonder if he is getting kickbacks if Joe avg. 25ppg. 11 straight shots usually means your team keeps giving you the ball until you miss? Not Woody he will run iso Joe the whole 4th quarter.

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
8:58 pm

Astro, box scores ain’t going to tell you the story tonite…

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
8:59 pm

Make that 12 shots in a row…. My Gosh..

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
9:00 pm

Make that 13 shots in a row…

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
9:01 pm

Did Doc say something about Josh being an efficient score earlier today…

JohnGTFan

March 31st, 2009
9:01 pm

We all love Josh Melvin…but the thing is…these games are only once every 8 – 10 games

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
9:01 pm

You know what? Joe sure runs the clock down A LOT. Lucky for him, this does not count on the “turnover” stat ratio. If it did, his turnover-to-assist ratio would be uncomfortably close to 1-to-1.

By the way, does it look to you like Josh is carrying this team…on the road? Haters, try not to grind your teeth so hard…it’s only one game.

And yes, I know…it would be better if he could play like this all the time. But then, what would you have to complain about (besides Woody)?

Sekou K. Smith

March 31st, 2009
9:03 pm

Josh Smith is in the zone right now. But I fear he won’t have enough help to finish this comeback off.

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
9:04 pm

JohnGTFan, your right. The shooting touch wont be there every nite but his effort and impact on the game is alway there….

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
9:05 pm

Not to take away from our victory against the Lakers, but I see they are once again losing to an inferior eastern conference team (Bobcats) due to awful shooting…. looks like Sautee had a point about our victory against them…

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
9:07 pm

Hawks made their run while Bibby was on the bench. Let’s see what he does in the last 6mins…. He misses a 3 as I type this… dang.

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
9:07 pm

Yeah, Ray, all of Josh’s haters have always declared that he never has game and that he is useless. Funny how he is scoring all of these 4th quarter points while Amazin says no one will pass him the ball. Amazin how he passes to himself on those alley-oops.

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
9:07 pm

Sekou,

This is why the playoffs bother me. Where’s the help? It’s not like we don’t have effective weapons! We keep going to the same busted-a$$ plays that aren’t working. Something about that doesn’t make me feel too good about that healthier-than-he-looks fat guy.

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
9:08 pm

See how Theo is playing… that’s what WE need. A situational low post defender.

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
9:08 pm

Hawks look like they are running out of gas.

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
9:09 pm

I can’t even lay all the blame on Joe. He can’t pass to guys who aren’t cutting. Why don’t they cut??

Why is it that when Horford rolls to the basket and the defender is hedging off of a pick, he almost never gets the ball? We have GOT to make teams pay for that!

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
9:09 pm

Ray, that healthier fat guy is having a better season than Mr. Smith.

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
9:10 pm

Misss shots by Bibby, Joe and Flip. And a turnover by Joe. Philly goes on a 9-0 run.

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
9:11 pm

Someone hand Theo a cup… Woody should demand a urine test RIGHT NOW!

J.J.M.

March 31st, 2009
9:11 pm

joe tryin 2 take over. josh was the man to go to.

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
9:12 pm

Crap, Josh goes off big time, and we’re going to lose anyway.

No adjustments, as usual. I do not like this matchup for the playoffs. We’re seeing now what we’re going to see in the playoffs, guys.

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
9:12 pm

Simple Ray. Joe is not effective at running the pick and roll. Rarely does he pass the ball to his teammate that roll off the pick…

JohnGTFan

March 31st, 2009
9:13 pm

Well, the run was fun while it lasted. And Melvin, I’m one that has NEVER questioned Josh’s heart, desire or effort…it’s his decision-making that usually drives me insane. But I’ll always take the bad with the good with his talent. LOL

JohnGTFan

March 31st, 2009
9:14 pm

Is the stat sheet correct..does Bibby really have “0″ assists?????

trint

March 31st, 2009
9:15 pm

The hawks are a bunch of wussies. Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby are allowed to come in and basically give the game away. Lets pray the heat keeps the 5th spot or it will really be ugly the ATL. 4-2 Sixer

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
9:16 pm

Me two JohnGT but it seem like to some others that he does nothing right…

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
9:16 pm

So I missed it, did Joe try to push the Hawks over the top like he always does? And then the other team goes on a run when Joe deviates from what got them back in the game? If so, we’ve seen that at least 8-10 times over the past 3 years. He is a ralley killer for the Hawks. Dude is a great front-runner and does well after the team takes the lead. But he very rarely is the catalyst in a comeback and too often kills it dead when he insists on being the one to hit the shot to get them over the hump.

Elijah

March 31st, 2009
9:17 pm

Has Horford thrown in the towel??

amazin

March 31st, 2009
9:18 pm

Astro Joe
I read your blowhard comments all the time. It is obvious to everyone that the ball should be running through Smith. It isn’t. He is scoring on his own penetration or when someone else penetrates and passes. Most of his points have been with less than 10 seconds on the shot clock. When you are on fire you should be touching the ball earlier than that. Sorry, for questioning the Almighty Astro.

J.J.M.

March 31st, 2009
9:18 pm

let josh get his career high

hawks hawk

March 31st, 2009
9:18 pm

Where the Josh haters at! check your backcourt tandem, they sucking it up bad tonite, but they keep firing it up! Good job Coach WOODY

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
9:21 pm

Amazin, it’s not even remotely like that. Folk question me all the tie around here. It is the nature of a blog. And the reason why I participate. I’m married… I’m told constantly that I’m wrong.

J.J.M.

March 31st, 2009
9:21 pm

flip tryin 2 be the home town hero

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
9:22 pm

Mike Bibby couldnt wait to get out the game…

dmortone

March 31st, 2009
9:22 pm

Listen, I love Josh, he has all the talent in the world. No one says he’s a bad player. However, while he’s truly dominating on the offensive end, he only has 5 rebounds and the sixers are dominating us inside. They’ve only hit 2 3’s all game. The paint is Josh’s area, along with Horford and Zaza’s, and none of them are doing a particularly good job. Though I’m sure it would be easier if Bibby wasn’t a swinging gate on D.

Elijah

March 31st, 2009
9:23 pm

Sekou, that’s just pathetic about Speedy. The dude can freaking defend. How are we gonna put overweight Bibby (yes he is massively overweight and does not look in shape at all) on Andre MIller when we have Speedy Claxton?

JJ

March 31st, 2009
9:23 pm

good game josh u played a heck of a game. too bad nobody else wanted to play except flip.

Melvin

March 31st, 2009
9:23 pm

Astro, Joe did hit some key shots in the 3rd. I think Flip and Josh spark the run. Hawks went 6 mins without scoring during a stretch in the 4th (around the time Bibby came back on the court)…. Funny Sixers went on their run when Theo came in the game after sitting for the 1st three qtrs….

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
9:26 pm

Exactly Big Ray… they dont cut.. they sit and watch… the whole team sits and watches each other… iso in the post iso on the perimeter with all these athletes (except Bibby) but we beat ourselves by standing still.. so easy to defend…

Astro Joe… Joe has never brought us back… better yet, kept us in the game… WOW GEESH!!!
dont get caught up in tonights game brother…

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
9:27 pm

you are clearly now a Joe Hater!!!

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
9:28 pm

and i am officially a “Bibby Hater”

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
9:29 pm

Not much in the lane tonight either… nothing from down low… im talking block play, post play…

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
9:30 pm

Josh hit his free throws, and make outside shots… thats why you see a big number… we are going to have our hands tied come playoffs cause we have no paint presence on either end…

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
9:31 pm

Astro Joe,

Of course you would see it that way. That’s a matter of opinion. Now how are you going to quantify that statement? Let me see, you can’t go by the number of wins, can you? And Woody was never injured. Hmmm. I guess what you’re trying to say is that this team would be better off without Smith than it would without Woody. I’m interested in your explanation of this opinion. Seriously.

So where are those people that were so mad at Mark Price a little while back? The Hawks just went 21-21 from the line. I say he earned his money, huh? Unfortunately, the Hawks lost. So what coach shall we hang for THAT one? Heh heh heh…

amazin

March 31st, 2009
9:31 pm

Astro Joe-
also being a member of the ball & chain gang. I will extend the olive branch. Maybe that is why I am cranky.

J.J.M.

March 31st, 2009
9:32 pm

hawks lost beacuse when they came back joe got a lil happy and tried to be the hero when josh and flip were playing the hardest. when its not your day its not your day(bibby and joe) i woulda ratha them kept goin to josh and maybe josh woulda got doubled up leavin some one open for the three or two.

niremetal

March 31st, 2009
9:33 pm

Melvin,

Sorry, that’s just plain wrong. JJ passes the ball on about half of the pick and rolls we run with him, and I really don’t know what games you’ve been watching if you think otherwise. The problem is that Woodson prefers to call ISO for JJ rather than a pick-and-roll, which leads to everyone looking kind of unsure about what to do when they finally do call one involving JJ. All too often, both JJ and the big man roll in the same direction, and the resulting lack of separation makes the pick and roll a nullity.

Ray hit the nail on the head – there is almost NO off-ball motion on offense for us. I have only seen one play run the past few weeks that involves off-ball screens, and it involves JJ setting an off-ball screen for a big man who then goes to the top of the key to run a pick-and-roll with Bibby (while JJ clears out to spot up). That’s it.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but WE NEED MARVIN BACK. On nights like tonight when JJ and Bibby are cold, we need someone who can score from the perimeter. We also need him on defense against teams like Philly with high-octane perimeter players.

I’ve made my call. If Marvin is healthy, I’d rather play Philly in the first round for the reasons stated above and because of the danger of D-Wade singlehandedly annihilating us. If he’s still sore, I’d rather play Miami, because I’d rather face the risk of Wade going nova than the certainty of Philly’s backcourt running JJ and Bibby ragged on defense, leaving them with precious little in the tank on offense.

Also, I’m getting so effing sick of this 7-man rotation. We went 7-0 on a homestand, most of which saw us using at least an 8 and usually a 9 player rotation. But it’s like a sickness – Woodson seems allergic to doing what works for the Hawks. And also, naysayers aside, we have the 4th seed in the bag. That means that this is the perfect time to get our bench some burn, but $50 says that Woody doesn’t switch from the 7-man rotation until there’s less than a week left before the playoffs.

WAKE UP, WOODY. THIS IS THE PERFECT TIME TO USE YOUR BENCH. WAKE. UP.

Elijah

March 31st, 2009
9:34 pm

HOW ARE WE BENCHING SPEEDY CLAXTON AND NOT COLLECTING MONEY? PLAY THE POINT GUARD. WE CANT LET FAT MIKE BIBBY PLAY 40 MINUTES A GAME.

I DONT CARE IF HES NOT IN OUR PLANS. WOODSON, DO YOU WANT TO WIN OR NOT?

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
9:34 pm

Dave, no, Joe keeps us in games…. I just have never seen him serve as the catalyst of a major comeback. And too often, he takes an ill-advised shot when he wants to be the hero.

Ken Strickland

March 31st, 2009
9:34 pm

We need an upgrade at PG if we intend to gain any consistency and take it to the next level. Bibby is too limited, too one dimensional and a serious DEF liability. Even if we’re lucky enough to draft the PG we need, Woodson is too insecure to put the team and his HC career in the hands of a rookie PG.

If we get the type of PG we need, and Woodson accepts him, we’d become a much more consistent team, even with Woodson as HC.

freshd

March 31st, 2009
9:34 pm

please dont resign mike bibby, and when joe johnson”s contract is up let him go. he is a 2, he will never be a 1. he is a good player but to be a 1 you have to be great. lately he has been up and down. the hawks should take notes from philly how they put flip on his ass. if they had done the same to tony parker last week they would have won. the playoffs are coming atlanta it time to man up. you might see these guys again.

amazin

March 31st, 2009
9:37 pm

J.J.M.
Great point. The problem is that would involve coaching and making in game adjustments. Something that seems to be lacking around here.

J.J.M.

March 31st, 2009
9:38 pm

amazin

we should be ok though. could be better but yes the coaching has to step up

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
9:39 pm

Dmortone,

You’re right. Josh wasn’t very good on the defensive end, or on the boards, although he did make some plays. We lost the game on assist-to-turnover ratio, and points off of turnovers.

Better yet, we actually outrebounded them. Here’s where we lost, boxscore-wise: They had 27 assists, and 7 turnovers.

We had 17 assists….and 17 turnovers.

As far as the defense goes, what kills me is how guys like Josh will always get the brunt of criticism while Joe Johnson continues to take plays off. It’s disgusting, really.

This TEAM is not playing good defense. You can’t just have good “D” in the paint, or just from one person. The defense starts ON THE DAMN PERIMETER. The BALL starts there. It’s impossible for the defense to start in the paint. That is the LAST LINE OF DEFENSE. But do you hear that? NO, you don’t. What you hear is “Josh didn’t get it done.” Although some will at least broaden their vision and see that all the Hawks big men didn’t get it done.

Once again, even the staunches Marvin hater should see why we miss him. Dude has played defense all year, and has legit talent on the offensive end.

But….we also have guys on the bench who will defend (like Solo). Why doens’t he see the court? Gee, I wonder…

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
9:40 pm

Wow…? when he wants to be the hero…? Joe Johnson… yall have confused the player with the offense… the selfish title most wanna give Joe is a result of an offense that is predicated on selfish play… iso… iso.. iso… no ball movement unless there is a breakdown…

terrell barron

March 31st, 2009
9:41 pm

I said it from the get-go. I want no part of Philly.

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
9:41 pm

Ray, simple. 37 to 43 and counting. Team likely to secure 4th seed. Team didn’t miss a beat after losing their regular 6th man. Top 5 team in turnovers (unless tonight’s debacle pushed them over).

Meanwhile, can anyone claim that Smith is better this year vs. last year?

I think this is a no-brainer. Joe isn’t as good, Bibby has faultered, guys have been injured, and yet the team is better. Oh yeah and I’m guessing the conference is better, too. I’m not saying dude is a great coach… but he is better this year vs. last year. Is that so difficult to consider?

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
9:42 pm

Astro… isnt keeping the team in the game the same as being the “catalyst” for the comeback…?

eman

March 31st, 2009
9:42 pm

Not a good sign when:
The Hawks are losing all games in possible Eastern Conference playoffs matchups (Cleveland x2, Boston, 76ers during the month of March).

Bad this is there are still 3 more games left like those as well as 3 road games.

niremetal

March 31st, 2009
9:43 pm

Astro,

I just have never seen him serve as the catalyst of a major comeback.

Uh…gee. I guess you’re not counting the single biggest game of the past decade for the Hawks, when we were down 10 against the best defensive team in the league in Game Four of the first round and JJ scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to lead us to the win. Yeah, guess that doesn’t count.

Or in the home opener this year when we fell down 23 points against the Sixers and JJ took over in the second half, icing the game with a 30-footer with 10 seconds left. Yeah, guess that doesn’t count either.

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
9:44 pm

On the flip side of the coin, I really can’t get too mad at Joe Johnson taking plays off on defense.

He constantly has to make up for Bibby’s egregious ineptitude, and we don’t need him working so freakin’ hard all game long, trying to guard guys that he should not have to guard. We need him to have energy on offense.

And truth be told, so it is with all good/great offensive players. You don’t see the Kobes, Lebrons, Wades, CP3s, or any others playing lock-down defense on every possession. They really can’t afford to.

Defense is a team concept. If you’re playing zone, watch your part of the zone. If you’re playing man to man, then get your guy, and watch for the switch-outs. But we don’t do that, and in starts with our pg.

Can’t blame Joe for all of this. Can’t make Bibby do what he obviously cannot do. But you CAN make adjustments when it’s time to do so.

Sorry, but the so-called healthy fat guy might be in better running shape, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have high cholesterol.

doc

March 31st, 2009
9:44 pm

melvin, every dog has his day.

JOSH = MVP!

dmortone

March 31st, 2009
9:45 pm

Even if Joe is a number 2 option, that’s still better than 90% of the wing players in the league. We do need an upgrade at the point at some point, but letting JJ go just because he’s not Lebron, Kobe, or Dwade is a little short-sighted.

BTW, Mario was +4 in the 7 minutes of burn he got. Mark Price, your work is needed!

amazin

March 31st, 2009
9:45 pm

Also, the Hawks big men foul trouble is a direct result of Mike Bibby. They are stopping people the guards coming in the paint. Then the other big has to rotate. Because the guards do not weakside box out. They get killed on the offensive rebounds.

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
9:46 pm

How many NFL coaches with a single year left on their contract would play a rookie QB? Woody (unless he signs an extension) is a lame duck coach (agaon) next season. And ya’ll think he should put his income (in this economy) on the line for a squad led by a rookie-PG? And does anyone know anything about Sund’s contract? Can he survive the growing pains of a rookie PG? I think some of ya’ll are kidding yourselves about drafting a PG outside of the lottery.

J.J.M.

March 31st, 2009
9:47 pm

bigdave

im just sayin at the moment he trys 2 be the hero. joe and bibby both know they were havin a bad night and clearly josh was havin a good night, so the smart thing is to give the ball to josh and work threw him.

niremetal

March 31st, 2009
9:47 pm

Astro,

Sorry for the snark. But come on…I just provided 2 examples off the top of my head, and I’m sure if I dig I’ll find at least 2-3 more from this season. You gotta know better than that.

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
9:49 pm

I BLAME MIKE BIBBY… IF WE HAD A POINT GUARD WHO COULD PENETRATE, CREATE, AND DEFEND… WELL I GUESS JUST PLAY POINT GUARD PLAY POINT GUARD, JOE COULD JUST BE JOE… HE CAN’T BE, HE HAS TOO DAMN MANY ROLES!!!

WADE, KB, LBJ…ETC… THEY DONT HAVE TO DO THIS ALL GAME.. ALL GAME… TEAMS MAKE OTHER PLAYERS BEAT US… OR FORCE JOE TO TAKE SOME OF THE TOUGHEST SHOTS I SWEAR…

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
9:49 pm

Matt, good call. I was thinking about the playoffs but couldn’t remember the specifics and certainly didn’t have the 76ers game in my head. Good call. Dave, I’m talking about coming back from like 15+, not keeping the team in the game when we’re down by 3-4 possessions. But niremetal (Matt) corrected me. Of course, he used examples from over 60 games ago, but still, he corrected me.

Rod from College Park

March 31st, 2009
9:52 pm

It’s so funny how some of you continue to say we need Marvin because of his defense, but yet Kobe, Lebron, and Iguodala had some of there lowest scoring games against us in their careers without him. You guys do realize that with Marvin playing, Flip will play less. We did not lose this game because of defense, we lost because out two best players could not hit a shot. We held Philly to 93 points. Of course we could use him, but he would make no difference in the outcome of the game.

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
9:54 pm

i am a HUGE Josh fan, and native so i support him.. if u cant tell he and Joe are my fav. Hawks… but i dont think he is the player we can just “give the ball to” yet when we absolutely need a bucket. especially out on the perimeter where he seems to dwell…

O'brien

March 31st, 2009
9:54 pm

Guys, When Bibby was traded to the Hawks last year, there was a fan from Sacramento who posted on here. And he said Bibby will drive you crazy, because for every 1 good game, he has 3 bad games. And I think he was right.

Because say what you want about chemistry and leadership, but if Bibby is not hitting shots, he is totally ineffective. And I would be ok with the Hawks going in another direction at PG this offseason. I would gladly sacrifice some of Bibby’s offense for a PG who can defend his position, penetrate, and hit the open jumper (even if its not the big shot).

It’s a good thing we beat the Lakers Sunday (the same Lakers who lost to the Bobcats tonight), because we have Orlando next, and although its at home, we could easily lose that game, (and also lose to Boston).

Hawks players and coaches need to get their act together.

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
9:55 pm

how u feel this man is “trying to be the hero…”

Marvin

March 31st, 2009
9:55 pm

We need him. Plus, we need to give him an extension. He is our only back to the basket player (in comparison to the rest).

If Joe and Bibby and Evans were on, we win this game. That is the funny thing about basketball.

However, I am tired of getting dominated by Matt Bonner, Glenn Davis and Speights in the post.

amazin

March 31st, 2009
9:55 pm

drmortone
Do you realize that this team has shot worse under Mark Price? Smith shot 84% from the ft line in the playoffs. He has fell apart under Price. The whole starting five is shooting worse from the line. Everyone in the starting five. Please stop with all the Price shots everytime someone makes a ft.

niremetal

March 31st, 2009
9:55 pm

Astro,

Two more things. First, GMs usually work on an at-will employment basis rather than a term employment basis, as I understand it. In other words, Sund is here until he gets fired, just like most suits in the world.

Second, the types of comebacks you’re talking about – where a team goes down 15+ points and come back to win it mostly because of the herculean effort of a single player – happen no more than a couple times each year at most for any given team. I bet if you check the stats, you’ll only find 2-3 instances each this year where LeBron, Kobe, and Wade did it. Those types of games are rare for any player, which is why such comebacks often become the stuff of legend on the rare occasions that they do happen. So it makes zero sense to criticize JJ on that basis, especially since he has shown the ability to do that in two very important games in the past year.

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
9:56 pm

I guess the loss has nothing to do with Theo doing the exact thing we would want from a defenisve big coming off our bench, huh? Hawks were opposing their will in the 4th, Theo came in and said, “stop” and the Hawks stopped. Isn’t that precisely what we want on our team next year? A Closer of sorts in the low-post?

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
9:57 pm

Stro Joe,
Uhhh… well u said in the 3 yrs. the mans been here…
when have the Hawks ever come back from 15+… not to mention w/ out Joe contributing…? r u serious…

Samuel

March 31st, 2009
10:00 pm

This was just a bad game all the way around, except for Josh. Guy has to be one of (if not the) most erratic players in the league. Tonight he was clearly the best player for us because he played within himself. Sure he hit a couple of threes but for the most part his points came in the paint.

The rest of the team didn’t show up. That’s why you play hard throughout the season. So that you can be in the position to have off nights and still hold on to the 4th spot.

Philly does present matchup problems for us but I believe we still will beat them in a 7 game series with home court advantage.

Woody=COY

freshd

March 31st, 2009
10:00 pm

woodson should be a lame duck coach. the atlanta dis-spirit should have listened to billy knight and fired him. you can”t keep playing an eight man rotation for 82 games without wearing guys down. if a guy is good enough to make a nba roster then he should be good enough to play. but woodson is too stubborn to play guys. ask acie or for that matter salim last year.

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
10:02 pm

Niremetal, next time the Hawks are fighting AS A TEAM from way down and you see that 1-2 guys are leading the charge, watch and see what I’m talking about. Joe may have been making the sweetest passes during the comeback but the moment the team is within a basekt, he will absolutely look to get his shot. And my issue is that if the team is doing something specific to make the comeback, then you don’t deviate from that. And Joe too often does just that. It’s like he says “well, I’m the team’s leader so let me complete this comeback”. All I can say is look out for it. Team does A-B-C to get back in the game and all out the blue, Joe does V and kills the momentum.

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
10:02 pm

Stro Joe…
i forgive you brother but please… take the comments back or just admit that u dont like Joe… i just admitted to hating Bibby, with passion, cause he might be the single reason this team doesnt go far, but just not enough empirical evidence to support this claim about Joe…

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
10:08 pm

Astro Joe,

Not as simple as you like.

1)Sixth man replaced by TWO veteran players, one of which has become a scorer extraordinaire that has been able to carry the team when other featured scorers have not been effective.

2)Except for a handful of games, Woodson has shortened the rotation. Guess what? He did so last year, too. And even said his assistants tried to tell him not to. Hmmm.

3)37 to 43 wins and counting. You’re right. The team has gotten better. Woody has too, but not moreso than the team, which is enjoying the effect of two added veterans. Same rotation, different names.

4)Bibby has faultered, and we’ve seen WHICH young pg get more playing time? Sixth man’s replacement is the benefactor thereof. Not seeing a change there. Young pg receives even less minutes than he did last year. So much for development. I guess he’s just not worth it, huh? I mean, Woody couldn’t be wrong, could he (even after he publicly admitted he should have maybe played Acie MORE).

5)Can anybody say Josh is better than last year? Ohhhh, thought you had me there, Mr. Scarecrow…buuuuut… You can add Joe, Bibby, Al, Marvin, and anybody else except Zaza to that list. Everybody else’s stats are lower, and that’s what you went by, isn’t it? Oh wait….except Bibby, who WAS having a pretty good year for a moment there. Which is why everybody else’s points are down…we haven’t had a scoring pg here in forever. Now we got one that does almost nothing BUT shoot.

I haven’t just considered that Woody is having a better season than last. I KNOW it. But I won’t consider that he’s having a better season than an individual player, especially one who is so pivotal to this team’s success. And I don’t feel that he’s progressing at a rate any faster than this team is. Sorry, but I can’t agree with that. I feel that Woody is a benefactor of the product on the floor, and that the relationship is somewhat symbiotic. He has two fairly hard-core vets on the floor who play different positions, in place of a heady, but offensively limited young player, who was asked to play up to 4 positions, some of which made no sense for him to be playing at. Tell me that’s more about the coach than the team, and I’ll tell you you’re crazy.

I’ll say this: Smith is better at some things, but not better at others. Same goes for Woody. As Niremetal said, maybe they both are detrimental to this team. I can accept that idea, actually.

Smith was injured for 12 games, and not at full strength for many more.

Woody has had to deal with key injuries to the team, and with the exception of the loss of Marvin, I’m not impressed with his adjustments. Too many of the guys he has on the bench either can’t play well enough in place of them (not developed enough), or won’t, because they won’t get to play. If you’ve got another explanation, then I’m glad to hear it.

And we’re running the same plays as usual (with them not working) when we’ve seen evidence that running more of the game through the post actually works. It must be the team’s fault. After all, Woody is having a better season than they are…

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
10:08 pm

freshd, did you just use Salim as an example? Okay, so show me where Salim has proven to Woody that he is in fact NBA material? That he can contribute as a rotational player? That Woody missed on him like he did on Diaw? Explain how Salim is at least as productive this season as Royal Ivey?

I’m an Acie supporter (or at least I was). Dude needs to be available (like Mario) when he does get the call. Acie is going down that Salim path of being nicked up every 3-4 weeks (despite not getting a lot of PT). I never could figure how Salim could stay hurt while sitting on the bench while our top 7 players were very healthy last season despite playing a ton of minutes.

Marvin

March 31st, 2009
10:10 pm

Phili or Miami?? I’d rather play Phili, don’t like our chances of stopping Wade.

We will not be this bad every night.

niremetal

March 31st, 2009
10:11 pm

Astro,

Don’t know the number of times that I’ve watched Josh or Bibby kill a rally for us with an ill-advised shot. Great players do it too – just ask Laker fans who watched Kobe during the 2005-2007 era, and they’ll tell you that too often he tried to do everything himself to the detriment of the team. Anyway, I’ll go the grave saying that JJ is a clutch player.

In case you wanted more examples, check out the following games where the Hawks went down 10+ and JJ got us back in it:
Dec 6 at Dallas (Bibby and JJ combined for 28 in the 4th, but we came up short)
Dec 15 vs. Charlotte
Jan 19 vs. Toronto

I honestly stopped there because I have a paper that’s due in 15 hours. Till then…

nj faithful

March 31st, 2009
10:12 pm

Whats going on with M. Williams??

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
10:12 pm

How many NFL coaches with a single year left on their contract would play a rookie QB? Woody (unless he signs an extension) is a lame duck coach (agaon) next season. And ya’ll think he should put his income (in this economy) on the line for a squad led by a rookie-PG? And does anyone know anything about Sund’s contract? Can he survive the growing pains of a rookie PG? I think some of ya’ll are kidding yourselves about drafting a PG outside of the lottery.

Two things. One, what does that tell you about the coach in question. And two, I agree, drafting a pg outside of the lottery is foolishness. Although, it would appear that drafting one INSIDE the lottery (Law) didn’t work out so well either. Go ahead. Blame the player for that.

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
10:15 pm

Samuel,

I agree. Josh is erratic. Again, I’m okay with trading him as long as we don’t get something that makes us worse instead of better. No stiffs, no useless draft picks. We have to at least maintain useable asset management, and have guys that can contribute regularly. I don’t want the team to suffer as a result of a knee jerk reaction. This is where Sund comes in. Hopefully he has a good plan and can convince the owners of it.

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
10:20 pm

Ray, I said that Joe has been worse this year… never shied way from that. Seems to me if the whole is better than the parts (as most guys have had lesser stats), then the coach needs to get some love. Mo Evans and Flip are freakin’ NBA nomads. Flip was on his way to Russia. Evans was a starter on a division winner and quite affordable and his team told him to pound dirt. Again, a guy can have a good year and not be a great coach/player. Heck, Kevin Johnson had among the best seasons EVER by a PG and he is an after-thought as a player. Woody has done well… his stock is up. The only other player associated with this team whose stock would be more improved is Flip.

Sekou K. Smith

March 31st, 2009
10:20 pm

Hawks went the final 8:27 of the game without a field goal and had three turnovers. Nuff said!

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
10:22 pm

Rod,

It would seem like you have a point, but I say thee nay. Actually, when Marvin returns, it allows Woody more options. Let’s take the matchup against Philly for an example. Bibby doens’t play well against these guys. He can’t match up with Miller, Williams, or Green. And I hate to see him get rotated down on defense against Speights or somebody, which happens all the damn time because he can’t guard the guys up at the top of the key. Not even in a freakin’ zone!

But here’s where Marvin helps out. When Josh needs to sit, Marv is still there, and Mo can play at the 2 if JJ is out. That’s not all. The most important part is Flip will still get his minutes. Guess where? Right next to Joe with Bibby’s butt right on the bench when he’s A)stinking it up on defense, and B) not hitting shots.

Without Marvin, you cannot move Evans around to the 2 spot. He has to stay at the 3. And believe me, if Flip is hot, you want to keep him in the game, no matter WHO else is in there.

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
10:28 pm

Ray, Woody is to blame for the lack of Acie’s development. Acie played how many consecutive games before he came up lame? I’m not blaming him but it is unfortunate that once he earned some consistent time, that his body let him down.

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
10:31 pm

Marv,
Mia… they depend on a lot of youth, that could be good or bad though… also i like what we do against Wade defensively except when he went off in MIA but coached schemed well for him when we played them last at Da Phil…

I just think the pressure D from Philly will present a problem unless we change things scheme wise, and thats about as likely as snow in hell…

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
10:33 pm

Asto Joe,

I agree. Woody deserves some love. I still get irritated at his lack of adjustments. But like I said, you compared him to a single player. I simply took issue with it. It was a difference of opinion, is all, and I’m all wired on caffeine, so look out!

I agree that Flip’s stock is up, and it is due to him and him alone. I think Woody’s stock is up too, but it’s not due to him alone. He’s a part of this “whole” that you speak of. And you can’t tell me that he hasn’t benefitted from two veterans, journeymen or not. They get their playing time, don’t they (Flip has gotten loads of it)? Have the other guys who are on the roster, and not regular rotation guys? Nope. Would this team be better off WITHOUT those two vets, and WITH Childress? Doubt it, as I am sure Childress was one of the guys that was disgruntled with Woody. But if the team WAS better in that position, that would have certainly made a case for Woody.

You must not have been around when I was giving Woody all kinds of credit for making the adjustments he made early on when this team was winning without Marvin. I had a lot to say about it, especially during that 7-game homestand. Either that, or you have a short memory.

By the way, if you think I’m an unconditional Smith lover, you have me pegged wrong. I don’t know if anybody ripped him harder when he let Odom outrebound him by 20 in that Lakers game a while back. In fact, some people ripped ME on this blog for ripping HIM. They said he was injured. I wasn’t havin’ it. 0 rebounds is crazy. Few guys frustrate me more than he does (well, and Woody). I see more in him than he shows, but what the hell do I know. Like I said, I’m on board with any trade that makes this team better, not worse.

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
10:34 pm

but then again… Philly shot the ball well tonight from the perimeter… i wouldnt bet money on that continuing…

quick question, im showing my age here big time but, do any of the bloggers play NBA 2k9 for xbox 360 online…? if so, post your gamer tags…

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
10:36 pm

Astro Joe,

I have no idea what Acie’s problem is. If he’s truly hurt, then I hope he gets over it. If he’s having a pity party, or has serious durability issues, then either he needs to suck it up, or the team needs to move on (trade him or whatever you have to do). I think that’s fair.

Something has to give though, because we face a quandary in the offseason. Bibby is a UFA, Flip is a UFA, and Acie is all we have left, with Speedy being an exceedingly high-risk vet who expects not to be there.

Anybody seen Cenk Aykol? Cenk? Hello Cenk? Aw forget it…

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
10:40 pm

BigDave,

You’re not the only gamer. And it has little to do with age. I don’t have a lot of time to game. Still don’t have a 360 yet, though.

Also, Philly has won more than they have lost, despite not being very good from the perimeter. More importantly, they have beaten us more than they’ve lost to us…without that perimeter ability. What concerns me is our apparent inability to stop them where they ARE scoring.

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
10:42 pm

Great point…

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
10:44 pm

And we absolutely struggle to find consistency inside against them… i dont like our chances against physical teams…

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
10:45 pm

for ex. the
Spurs, Jazz, Cavs, Celts, Sixers, of the world… to name a few…

RLP

March 31st, 2009
10:47 pm

I think the Hawks are in for a fight with the 76ers for the 4th seed. The Hawks are not a good road team. Almost everyone on this blog is critical after road losses. Road wins are rare for this team. What is bad is that with 7 games to play the Hawks next two games are with “elite” teams who will probably beat them. Then they have 5 remaining games with teams they should be able to beat. However three of those games are on the road and the Hawks have their troubles on the road. All the Hawks need are a combination of 5 wins and/or 76ers losses to win the seed. But six if the 76ers next seven games are against teams they should be able to beat. At that point we may be tied or behind them in the standings. The Hawks saving grace is that the 76ers must then play Cleveland twice and Boston. Of course Boston is shutting Garnett down for a few games so the 76ers will have a shot. It ain’t over yet!

And if they play at the fifth seed their nice season may end badly.

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
10:52 pm

Ray and I am NOT a Woody lover or a Smith hater. They both have significant warts. All I ever want from Smith is defensive excellence… he’s a good offensive player but could be a legendary defensive player. When he has an 8-10 game stretch when he seemingly ignores the defensive side of the court, well, it takes me a while to recover from that. This team rarely needs him to score to win but we ALWAYS need his defense.

It’s hard to tell what comes first, the chicken or the egg. Is Flip playing well in this system (as opposed to the Pistons last year) because he recognizes how close he was to losing the NBA life or is he balling because Woody’s guard-featured offense optimizes his array of offensive skills?

Larry Drew is our supposed Offensive Coordinator, maybe we should have realized that a guy who has created one of those “How to be a PG” instructional DVDs would create offensive sets that are heavy on the backcourt and light on the rest of the squad.

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
10:59 pm

Astro Joe,

Not accusing you of either, really. Trust me, I think I get as much heart burn as you do from Smith’s….inconsistencies, shall we say. Again, I am open to trades, if they make sense (though I don’t think I can take another one of Smartguy’s proposals….holy &$%#@).

It’s funny that you mention Flip’s performance. I was on the phone with Sautee earlier, and we were extolling the virtues of Flip’s lack of conscience on the offensive side of the ball. And I said to him, “You know, I think a lot of people forget this guy is in a contract year…”
Hey, I’m not going to call it that. We’ve needed the guy. I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth…until it’s time to re-sign him that is.

Also, agreed on the Larry Drew comment. IF in fact, he IS the “offensive coordinator.” Maybe he is, though Woody doesn’t seem like the type to allow that sort of thing. But I shouldn’t judge him when I don’t know him. It’s just hard to get over public comments like “I made this decision (which turned out not to be a very good one) and my assistants fought me on it all year long…” Listening to one’s assistants (at least SOME times)is one reason why Vinny Del Negro’s Bulls are playing for the 7th seed, instead of planning where they’re going to watch the draft lottery from….

Big Ray

March 31st, 2009
11:08 pm

Astro Joe,

One more thing on Josh, and I think you will see some merit in this point of view.

Remember that scouting report Sekou delivered on him back at the beginning of the season? In it, the scout talked about how Josh changes opposing teams’ game plans because he is such a gambler, and is capable of so much. The scout also talked about the fact that the only player Boston didn’t have a gameplan for, and was so worried about was Josh Smith, because they couldn’t keep track of him on the defensive side. Lastly, the scout said that though he’s a gambler on defense, that is what he would want him for. Hmmmm.

Well, I think the very thing that makes him so dangerous has twofold results:

1)This is why he helps/hurts us so much. This team cannot afford for Josh to gamble, even if he’s blocking 5 shots a game. It’s just not enough. We already have one gaping hole on defense (and you know precisely where that is). We need solidarity and total team effort on defense. We’re basically playing 4-on-5 most nights. Unfortunately, due to injuries, inability, and inconsistency, we do not have that solidarity. If we were defensively solid at every position, and at least 7-8 deep on the roster, Smith could gamble all he wanted. But we’re not. And his gambling HURTS us as much as it helps. Smith has to play under control on defense, and within the team concept. Then again….if he’s NOT doing at least SOME heroics, we suffer anyway.

2)It’s Smith’s ability that makes him a good trade asset. Remember, other teams think they can take a guy like him and make it work. Philly sure could have. They’re already solid defensively. Imagine what they could do with a guy like Smith. After all, that’s what makes up trades and free agency (uh, besides money issues). One man’s “can’t make it fit” part becomes another man’s “just the cog I needed” part.

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
11:09 pm

Hard to say if Woody’s decision to shorten the rotation last season was a bad one. We needed each and every win to reach the playoffs. And from a TEAM development persepctive, the playoff series was clearly the most significant training tool. Acie may hae suffered personally but the team grew by leaps and bounds. I know what the assistant said but I don’t think this team is a few wins from clinching the 4th seed if we finished one win short last season and missed the playoffs.

This season, Law should have gotten regular minutes. But he hasn’t earned his coach’s trust yet (and I wonder what his teammates think). No doubt, the bro-mance between Bibby and Joe is a contributing factor. Acie should have looked to develop a similar bro-mance with Flip.

Najeh Davenpoop

March 31st, 2009
11:13 pm

So, uh… I didn’t see the game, but who hijacked Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson and replaced them with Tyronn Lue and DerMarr Johnson?

bigdave

March 31st, 2009
11:15 pm

conflicker virsus…?

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
11:21 pm

Ray, I always figured that “gambler” thing was something that he would out-grow… not something that we would plan a scheme around. Again, unless someone was offering a boat load, I wouldn’t trade him until we have a chance to see what he would do with a Theo-type on the bench and a PG who can stay in front of the opposing PG. Trust me when I say that I have tried long and hard to come up with trade scenarios involving Smith and I can’t find one (that is plausible) that makes sense for the Hawks. Sure, if Orlando wants to trade Superman or if Houston is tired of Yao, but short of that, I don’t think so. Some mention Aldridge but I think dude is closer to Brad Sellers than he is to Chris Bosh. I guess I’m just too convinced that a part-time and dependable low post defender is sufficient for this team. And you don’t trade Smith, Horford or Marvin for a Pryzbilla/Darko/Kwame type.

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
11:22 pm

Najeh, LOL!

Sarah

March 31st, 2009
11:22 pm

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Sarah

http://blanket.ws

RLP

March 31st, 2009
11:27 pm

With Chicago’s lost and the Bobcats win these two teams are even in the loss column. Chicago has six games remaining and the Bobcats have eight.

darrell starks

March 31st, 2009
11:32 pm

The hawks just dont focus on the road its like everybody is not on the same page including the COACH WHERE THIS GUY CONTINUE NOT TO DEVELOP HIS BENCH you can not be and a elite team in the NBA PERIOD WITH A 7 OR 8 MAN ROTATION. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Astro Joe

March 31st, 2009
11:33 pm

Welcome Sarah, this blog can use a woman’s touch. We haven’t had one since (blank) used to post here.

Anyone old enough to remember Match Game? Fill in the blank.

And I’m off to dream about Halle and a king-sized bed full of cheesesteaks. Cheese whiz has never been so much fun.

doc

March 31st, 2009
11:33 pm

najeh, i have claimed before it was woody who has turned jj into an athletic lue. pound, pound, pound and pass it at the last minute to someone to jack it up.

Omg

March 31st, 2009
11:43 pm

ray, get a freaking life . Do you have to write on here 294 times in one night? We get the idea– the Hawks lost

Jody

March 31st, 2009
11:44 pm

Plain and simple, the hawks struggle to get easy baskets against teams with legit bigs that defend (Cleveland, Boston, Orlando, San Antonio etc…) A big part of that problem is the fact that the hawks are undersized up front and until they get some legit bigs that can get them easy baskets in a half court set and adequately defend other teams bigs, they will continue to be a middle of the pack team. By the way, I take my hat of to Josh Smith. For all the crap he gets, I don’t think people have any idea how hard it is for him to have to battle bigger guys night in and night out and the type of beating he takes night in and night out doing so. It’s easy for folks at home to criticize when they’re not getting hit by guys who are 20 to 30 pounds heavier and taller. There’s a reason he steps out on occasion to shoot jumpers.

irishmafia

March 31st, 2009
11:57 pm

Hey one of the bright spots not mentioned about the Hawks season, now Woodson is only 53 games under 500 for his career —- LOL LOL my vote for worst coach of all time with over 200 games coached –but at the same time the greatest survivor of NBA coaching –Who does he have pictures of?

niremetal

April 1st, 2009
12:05 am

I said I was done, but I need a break.

Astro – heh, I think that you replied to a spammer. I also recall that there are 1 or 2 females who’ve posted on here sporadically, but their names escape me. Speaking of names, why couldn’t you leave my old, discarded name on the side of the road where it belongs – Matt is dead . Also, I trade Josh for Przybilla and a pick or cap filler in a heartbeat; even straight up, I’d probably do it. Przybilla is EXACTLY the type of player we need – a 7′2 defensive stalwart who can pound the glass and who loves to mix it up underneath. The 25 minutes a game he’d give us regularly + 35 versus teams with top-flight 7 footers + the increased scoring we’d get by allowing Horford to slide over to the 4. And if they throw in ANY player on their roster not named Raef (i.e. Webster, Frye, Batum, Bayless, Rodriguez…and especially if we could get Outlaw, Blake, or Fernandez)…honest to God, I think it would improve us so much.

Omg, don’t hate. Ray cares about the team and enjoys writing about them, as do I and as do Astro Joe, jhan, MannyT, Sautee, Samuel, Melvin, Ando, doc, bigdave, Najeh, terrell, and many others. And don’t talk about the lives of people you don’t know. Ain’t right.

cp

April 1st, 2009
12:14 am

Woody being who we thought he was + Nique and his award winning analysis = me laughing, shaking my head, and watching enemy of the state

kirkinga

April 1st, 2009
12:48 am

Were people really expecting a Hawks win tonight? After watching the previous 74 games, I just can’t believe anyone is shocked at the loss tonight. Certainly the Hawks are capable of such a win, but without Marvin and on the road against a team with a very strong frontline?

Isn’t time to make peace with the team and the coach? Doesn’t mean you accept the coach, doesn’t mean you don’t want to see the Hawks play hard and always compete. But by making peace you recognize the Hawks aren’t going to solve their season long weaknesses at this point in the season.

I see the Blame-Bibby folks are out as well. I sorry but it is not a coincidence that the Hawks have a winning record since the guy arrived. Hate him all you want, but the team has won with him, and lost when he wasn’t here. That seems like simple math to me. + Bibby=winning record and 2 trips to the playoffs. – Bibby=Lottery!

The Hawks could split the next two games, but I wouldn’t expect it.

The Hawks will win the 4th spot, but in the last week of the season. Philly still has 2 games against the Cavs, 1 with the Celtics, and I don’t see them beating the suddenly-hot Bulls and Bobcats.

The Heat still have 5 road games remaining. Are the suddenly going to start winning on the road? I doubt it.

The Hawks will limp into the last few games barely clinging to the 4th spot, but will regain their swagger and win 3 of their last 4 ,securing the 4th spot and going into the playoffs with renewed confidence. March is over and the Hawks are still right there were they’ve been all season long.Predictions that they would collaspe under the weight of their March schedule were quite wrong.

Go Hawks!!

Harry Hawk

April 1st, 2009
1:06 am

Maybe Ray Felton will be the guy we go after? I don’t know, but if this team gets knocked out in the first round, we should have a new head coach. Sund doesn’t have any loyalty to Woody. If Woody goes, this team will probably go to a more traditional PG.

Big Ray

April 1st, 2009
3:00 am

Omg,

Oh my gosh! I don’t know what’s worse, my 295th time, or your first…

Big Ray

April 1st, 2009
3:11 am

Man, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Spurs last night. With Tim Duncan on the floor. In San Antonio. Mmhmmm.

vava74

April 1st, 2009
4:34 am

We are going to loose on the first round, regardless of being Miami or Philly.

If we get Miami, the refereeing will kill us protecting D-Wade, which is essential to boost the second round ratings.

If we get Philly, Andre Miller will simply kill Bibby and with Bibby relenting points after points and getting too tired to get his shots, we always loose.

Najeh Davenpoop

April 1st, 2009
4:48 am

“Hey one of the bright spots not mentioned about the Hawks season, now Woodson is only 53 games under 500 for his career —- LOL LOL my vote for worst coach of all time with over 200 games coached”

Somewhere, Tim Floyd is asking himself what more he has to do.

DeadManWalking

April 1st, 2009
5:37 am

Might have to agree with the first round loss, given the way the Hawks are playing. The team does not come together often enough and the head coach makes needed changes even less. He is so very much not an Xs and Os coach. All he knows how to do is yell and blame players for not making shots or getting rebounds. Some ask if there is a better coach available out there. I ask is there a worse one. Perhaps Carlesimo, Krystowiak, Dunleavy qualify. After that few do.

terrell barron

April 1st, 2009
6:47 am

No harm, no foul I guess. The 4 seed is basically wrapped up. No way Philly or Miami wins out. Just trying to stay positive.

dap01

April 1st, 2009
7:49 am

Bibby is not the answer. If a point guard is not hitting his shots he should have more than ZERO assists. He is a major liability.

Woody is not a coach who can do more than simply hope for good results.

The Hawks are going nowhere right now.

What is the expected return dates for Marvin and AC?

O'brien

April 1st, 2009
8:06 am

Not to bash Bibby, but check out the stats from the game.

Bibby: 32 mins, 7pts, 0 assists, 1 rebound, 0 steals

Miller: 42 mins, 18 pts, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals.

I think Bibby’s playoff performace will dictate his next contract. If he struggles in the playoffs, I think his price will come way down.

Astro Joe

April 1st, 2009
9:01 am

0 assists from your starting PG is far worse than 0 rebounds from your starting PF. Seems to me that it is easier to find an open teammate than to grab a rebound. I mentioned yesterday that Bibby plays poorly in Philly but goodness. 0 assists? Woody should… oh, wait. Woody should write him a not too pleasant hand-written note without the jar of jam. That will show him.

doc

April 1st, 2009
9:07 am

hmmm 21 for 21 from the line last night.

nire, poor efficiency from our starting guards last night … 18 shots and 18 points.

o’brien, those numbers scare me. should we be interested in bibby at any price as that has been the rule rather than the exception? yes, we beat the lakers, their weakest position is point. other top teams with point guards have eaten him alive this year.

doc

April 1st, 2009
9:10 am

aj, no bibby would just laugh at woody and be able to get away with it. he knows real coaching and real offenses. remember, bibby is a good influence on woody.

ILL-logical

April 1st, 2009
9:23 am

Michael Gearson is holding a press conference today at noon. He will announce that the Atlanta Spirit Group has resolved their legal issues and will take on a new equity partner,Mr. Chris Brides , who will invest $50 million over the next 5 years.

Further,Coach Woodson has been extended 2 years on his current contract. Woodson will announce at this conference that he is going to utilize a 10 man rotation from here on out. The line up will feature Biibby,Johnson,Smith ,Horford and Jones.Bibby will play 25 minutes and push the ball more; Johnson will average 35 minutes and pass the ball more and create opportuinties for his teamates; Smith will become a Tayshun Prince type forward who will generate energy on both the offensive and defensive ends while averaging 35 minutes a game. Jones will become a Caldwell Jones type o center who can run the floor and block shots in 20 minutes per game. Horford will become a Linwood “Buck” Wiliams type of 4 who will see time at the 5 but will run the floor and play high -low offense with Smith.

ZaZa will averge 25 minutes and become the best back up 5 in the business; Acie Law will average 20+ minutes and push the tempo and play shut down defense . In a surprise moove,Woodson announced that Othello Hunter would become the back up 4 as a banger type to as he put it:kick some #$% down low. Marvin will provide scoring punch and leadership at the 3/4 and Flip the Switch , would take the load off of Joe every night at the 2.

The entire team will be at the press conference and they ,the management ,staff and press corps will stand as one and sing Kumbaya.

Braveshater

April 1st, 2009
9:24 am

Its time to start thinking of the next hawks 2 guard, Joe is done, sick of him disappearing every night, he’s a bonified joke.

Astro Joe

April 1st, 2009
9:25 am

Confessions of a poor wannabe scout. I recently read an article about how GMs should avoid watching the NCAA tourney because it could sway their opinion about a player. I recall watching D-Wade with Marquette and thinking “this guy is incredible, he is going to be a great pro”. So when he had a great rookie year, I “got da big head”. I think the very next year (or maybe two years later), I watched this kid at Nevada, Kirk Snyder, and I thought, “oh my, this kid is going to be great”. Oh well. I just read that dude has been arrested after allegedly breaking into a neighbors house in the middle of the night and beating up his neighbor who was asleep in the bed. Of course, he bounced around the league before ending up without a contract this past season.

So I guess I won’t make any comments about Sam Young from Pittsburgh. He may either become one of the best or he may be wearing an orange suit and running from a dude name “Big Rock”.

Astro Joe

April 1st, 2009
9:26 am

Ill, the first April Fool joke of the day. Thanks.

ant banks

April 1st, 2009
9:27 am

as much improvements that the hawks have made this year with the acquisition of Flip-Mo squad, they are still the SAME team. last year they won 12 games on the road. this year, with 7 games left, they have won 14 games on the road.

the elite teams win at home and on the road…clev, sa, boston, la, orlando, but we struggle mightly on the road. WHY? i fear the same thing in the playoffs this yr, win at home and lose on the road.

the big caveat this year is if we lose one of the home playoff game, the momentum shifts exponentially to the other team as we will probably get swept on the road this year, too.

Hawks73

April 1st, 2009
10:11 am

Is anyone surprised by the outcome of this game? The Hawks have shown all year their consistently inconsistent. The worst part of this performance is how flat they came out…then again, this is their M.O. I see all the comments in regards to “not having bigs”, but ultimately, it’s the coaches responsibility to use and develop his players. They may not have any dominant frontline guys, but they certainly have bodies on the bench that have been underutilized (Solo, Randolph). It’s a common theme for Woody to make excuses instead of finding the solutions to make this team better. He made excuses (when Billy Knight was here) that he didn’t have “right pieces” and so on and so on and so on. The fact remains, is that Woody will always come up with an excuse (to save his on a!!) then assume responsibility for his poor coaching. I am afraid that this bozo will get too much credit for the teams improvement and we will be having this conversation next year.

O'brien

April 1st, 2009
10:16 am

Doc, even if Bibby’s price comes way down, I think the Hawks need to look in another direction. All he gives us is the occasional big shot/ offense. And his shortcomings combined with Woody’s coaching is not a good mix, because even if Bibby is struggling, Woody will still play him 32-36 minutes, and Bibby will still get his shots.

Plus I think the Hawks will be better served with a younger PG who can play defense, penetrate, and hit the open jumper. I dont think Acie is ready to take over, so maybe we can sign one in free agency (Hinrich, Jack, Felton, somebody), and let Acie be the backup again (hopefully he’ll be healthy, and hopefully Woody will play him more). And resign Flip of course.

A PG who can penetrate will get our bigs involved more, and his defense will also help the bigs (and JJ), who has to continuously pick up the slack because of Bibby’s shortcomings defensively.

Ken Strickland

April 1st, 2009
10:38 am

The Philly HC knows his team has trouble scoring consistently when forced to play halfcourt. So, he uses his teams athleticism and bench and runs at every opportunity to get as many easy baskets as they can, and the strategy works.

The Hawks also have trouble scoring consistently when forced to play halfcourt. So, our solution is to continue playing halfcourt, limit bench use, and restrict the OFF to 3 players(JJ, Bibby & Flip) playing one on one and isolations. The results of that strategy could be seen in last nights loss.

We’re getting killed by opposing PG’s because of Bibby’s matador DEF, his inconsistent shooting. and Woodson’s insistence of playing him 40+ mins. We’re also feeling the effects of Marvins absence. Teams now realize they can double JJ, Flip or Bibby with MEvans’ defender because he’s not likely to hurt them by putting up 25-35pts like Marvin can do. That’s why Evans is so free to get at least 1-3 uncontested OFF put backs per gm.

HOW CAN WE CONSIDER OURSELVES A LIGITIMATE 4TH SEED WHEN WE’RE AFRAID TO COMPETE AGAINST TEAMS THAT ARE BELOW US.

kwooden1

April 1st, 2009
10:38 am

I didn’t get to see the game, but what everyone has said and looking at the box score; the things that I thought needed to happen didn’t. Evans didn’t knock down 3’s and overall they didn’t shoot the ball well. Philly’s bigs are always going to cause us problems, Horford’s inside game has developed enough to deal with guys taller and longer than him. He needs to utiliize/develop the moves that David West uses, he scores on almost anyone. I wouldn’t classify the Hawks as a poor road team more than a team that is depend on jump shots. Their offensive sets don’t get them a lot of layups or looks inside and they really can’t play inside out. (a little with Horford and Josh) Their defense has to be solid for them to win and if another team is hitting from the outside they are in trouble. Going to Boston should be a good wake-up call for them because they are going to be forced to play half-court basket and run their sets. (PLAYOFF Style Basketball) Woody clearly needs to get more time for Solo and Mario, which I never really understand why he doesn’t because he a defensive guy anyways? In terms of Miami vs Philly; I think I would take Miami right now over Philly, just don’t match-up well against Philly. More opportunities to score against Miami.

GO HAWKS!!

PS: Keep Bibby for the right price, get healthy Acie and Marvin

Barry

April 1st, 2009
11:08 am

Hey Y’all:

I personnally believe the Hawks should have no preference to who they play in the playoff. Be it Miami or Philly, I am sure they understand they this is the playoff and the better come in and play Hawks basketball which is defense and “run and gun offense. Let the opposition beware of our style of play and be very afraid that they will lose playing the Hawks straight up. The Hawks must play their game with any team they confront in these playoffs.Of they are “PREPARED”, they will be sucessful throughout these games. And with that, “LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!”

“ATLANTA HAWKS, BOOM-BYE-YEAH!!!!”

“SHOCK THE WORLD!!!!”

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a Secret from a HAWK FAN. TELL EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

doc

April 1st, 2009
11:18 am

o’b i agree. dont be disappointed, my sources tell me to be ready to have bibby back because of “chemistry”.

bibby has served his piupose at a huge price tag, chills for one. it is time to come up with a better alternative.

SWAT Native

April 1st, 2009
11:19 am

Ken Strickland,

One final off topic comment: my mother’s family is from not far from Dothan, a little town called Opp. I’m also not a Bama fan, I’m an Auburn grad.

Back to the Hawks. I think they finished last year about the same (I remember Sam Cassell lighting them up in Philips just before the end of the regular season), but elevated their game in the playoffs. Hopefully this will happen again.

Mychelfromatl

April 1st, 2009
12:00 pm

Wow just another ride on the Hawks rollercoaster.

1 – Hawks vs. Spurs. No Tim Duncan. At Philips. Hawks on 8 game home win-streak. Hawks figures cakewalk. End result, Lost.

2 – Hawks vs. Celtics. No Kevin Garnett. At Philips. Hawks figures cakewalk. End result, Lost.

3 – Hawks vs. LA Lakers. Kobe playin? Yes. Hawks perform a defensive masterpeice on the LA Lakers. End result, Win.

4 – Hawks at Philly. Hawks coming off Lakers win. Philly coming off Detroit Lost. Hawks once again figures cakewalk. End result, lost.

5 – Hawks at Boston. Hawks coming off Philly letdown. Hawks remember being outplayed at home by Boston with no KG. Hawks get amped. Hawks goes into Boston, does the unthinkable, and outplays the Celtics. End result, Win.

6 – Hawks vs. Magics. Stay strapped for the rollercoaster ride that is Atlanta Hawks Basketball!!

O'brien

April 1st, 2009
12:24 pm

Ken Strickland, I agree. When Bibby is struggling, Woody needs to get him out of the game. Some of Bibby’s games this season:

Suns, 29 minutes, 2-13 FG, 5 pts, 6 assists
@Mia, 32 minutes, 1-6 FG, 2 pts, 0 assists
@Det, 38 minutes, 1-5 FG, 5 pts, 4 assists
@LaL, 27 minutes, 4-10 FG, 9 pts, 1 assist
@Wash, 37 minutes, 3-11 FG, 7 pts, 3 assists
Utah, 27 minutes, 1-6 FG, 2 pts, 2 assists
@Phi, 32 minutes, 2-9 FG, 7 pts, 0 assists.

Why does he play so many minutes when his shot isnt falling, not much assists, and he is a major defensive liability?

Patrick

April 1st, 2009
12:57 pm

Interesting story from last night. I was at the game, behind the Hawks bench. (white dude in a Smith jersey, you can see me in the Flip Murray Dunk of the Night Highlight)

So towards the end of the first quarter, Josh takes the ball up the court with time winding down and instead of giving it up to someone else to run the final play, he goes at it alone, and is of course called for a carry. Mike yanks him, quarter ends. Now, they are huddling up before the start of the second quarter, and Josh is watching the cheerleaders try to dunk a basketball off a trampoline. Woodson has everyone else huddled up, but no one is saying anything. He’s just sort of…staring at everyone, I guess. He motions for Josh to get in the huddle as well, and Josh doesn’t even really look at him. Still sitting away from the huddle, watching the cheerleaders on the jumbotron. A few more moments of silence, and Mike finally goes about muttering a few angry words and drawing up a play. Just an incredible sequence, and more than worth the price of admission on its own.

-Patrick

bigeasy830

April 1st, 2009
1:27 pm

By know it all Ken Strickland,”A lot of fans want us to acquire a talented starting BIG, but that would necessitate getting rid of either Horford or Smoove. Switching Smoove to the 3 simply isn’t a viable option”. Many believe that Al and Josh are playing out of position. Even though Al is 6″10″ and Josh is 6″9″, both should slide up one position. Al and Josh would have an advantage on the offensive and defensive end on other 4’s and 3’s in the league. Al is considered a PF and J-Smoove definitely have the skill set to play the 3, he just need to play under control more. You are the only know it all on this blog that do not want a center. Now, we are doing fine with the rotation like it is, but, a true center would free those other 2 guys up and take a lot of pressure off them on both ends of the court. We will lose one more forward this off season.I think it will be Marvin. If we resign Marvin then we will lose Al or Joe the next year, that is simply my opinion. I also think tha A.C. can run our team but he has not been given a chance to do so. He is a better penetrator than Bibby and a better defender, but we rely too much on the outside shot and that is Bibby’s only advantage over A.C. But economics will dictate it and Bibby will be gone after this season. I love what he has meant to the team but, The broke ASG will not resign him for big dollars. Buty any way fans don’t get discouraged over one game, we will turn it up come play-off time. Ken Strick I knew you were a “BAMA”, I just didn’t know you were from Alabama,HAHAHAHAHA. That probably went right over your head.

Holla

Darrin "The Vent King"

April 1st, 2009
1:49 pm

Right now, I’m teetering on saying it’s 50-50 (okay maybe more like 60-40 Philly) on who we should want because the Hawks are their own worst enemy. One night they are world beaters, the next they stink like dead pig butt. Inconsistency is not your friend during the playoffs, focus is and D-Wade may have enough by himself to overcome the Hawks in a seven game series. The only thing that would help us against that is home court advantage and the fact D-Wade is playing with some youngsters who are not playoff tested. Philly on the other hand is maybe a bit more threatening because they are mirror images of the Hawks- long, athletic, and fast-paced. Plus I think they actually believe they are better than the Hawks and would love to play us on our court more than theirs to prove that. Their fearlessness of the Hawks is as dangerous if not more than D-Wade and co. If the Hawks play with the surge they are capable of they can handle either team, but that’s just the problem- IF. I sincerely hope they do and will be cheering hard for them, but they worry me a bit with their inconsistency.

GO HAWKS!!!

Melvin

April 1st, 2009
2:21 pm

Patrick, give us some more insight from the game that we would have seen on the tube (ie. players conversations)…

Big Ray

April 1st, 2009
2:26 pm

I am leaving. Bye AJCI am leaving. Bye AJCI am leaving. Bye AJCI am leaving. Bye AJCI am leaving. Bye AJCI am leaving. Bye AJC

Ryan

April 1st, 2009
3:32 pm

Definately want the 76ers. If the Hawks play the Heat the officials will put DWade on the free throw line 30 times a game.

Ken Strickland

April 1st, 2009
3:49 pm

BIGEASY69-the fact you’d think your very last statement could possibly go over anyone’s head shows that compared to you, even a BAMA would look like a Rhodes Scholar.

Honestly, you’re not knowledgeable or perceptive enough to be critical of me. First, I’ve never said I didn’t want the Hawks to acquire a center. I said we needed a PG with the combined skills of Acie and Bibby more than we needed a STARTING center. I said acquiring a STARTING center would necessitate losing either Smoove or Horford. I also said we could use a quality backup center. ONLY A CLOWN TRUELY LACKING IN COMPREHENSIVE ABILITY COULD TWIST THAT INTO SAYING I SAID I DON’T WANT US TO ACQUIRE A CENTER.

Lastly, after going on and on expressing your opinion about me and your assessment of Smoove, Horford, Marvin and the ASG, you made the following statement, “IF WE RESIGN MARVIN THEN WE WILL LOSE AL OR JOE THE NEXT YR, THAT IS SIMPLY MY OPINION. How is it you feel you can openly express your opinion, yet single me out for criticism for expressing mine? THAT’S CALLED HYPROCRISY, AND PEOPLE THAT PRACTICE HYPROCRISY ARE CALLED HYPROCRITES, AMONG OTHER THINGS.

Najeh Davenpoop

April 1st, 2009
3:52 pm

I don’t necessarily care about the Heat or the 76ers as much as I care about home court advantage. Neither of those teams is winning a game in Philips Arena. As long as the Hawks take care of business now and lock up the 4th seed, neither the Miami Salvatores (Bill SImmons’ term) nor the Sixers is going to bounce the Hawks.

bigdave

April 1st, 2009
3:57 pm

Ryan…
true, the Hawks will have to be on their game no matter who we face…

bigdave

April 1st, 2009
4:07 pm

possible PG entries in the draft…

1. Ricky Rubio
2. Willie Warren
3.Brandon Jennings
4. Stephen Curry
5. Jonny Flynn
6. Eric Maynor
7. Ty Lawson
8. Jrue Holiday
9. Jeff Teague
10. Darren Collison
11. Patrick Mills
12. Nick Calathes

RLP

April 1st, 2009
4:17 pm

I agree with Kirk’s comments.

Tonight’s beig games are:

Bobcats V. Celtics. A win for the bcats put them a half game behind Chicago for the eighth spot.
Pistons V. Nets. A Pistons lost guarantees that the Hawks will finish no lower than the sixth seed.
Heat V. Mavericks. A Heat loss will put the Hawks one game closer to securing the fifth seed.

Melvin

April 1st, 2009
4:21 pm

bigdave, i think they are some quality/nba prospects on that list…

Melvin

April 1st, 2009
4:22 pm

bigdave, i think there are some quality/nba prospects on that list

newkid

April 1st, 2009
4:53 pm

Interesting to read comments from Woody and some of the players regarding the absence of fire in the loss to Philly last night, when in fact the organization (front office, coaches, and players) set an awfully low bar for itself by establishing 4th place as a major goal. How many times over the past several weeks have we heard protestations from players and coaches about how important it was to maintain 4th place and a 1st round home court advantage? That even became a common refrain in these parts. Who was it (Michelangelo I think) that warned us of the peril of setting our goals too low and reaching them, rather than setting higher aspirations and failing to get there but in the effort achieving so much more than would have been achieved in pursuit of lower aspirations. With a 3-game lead in the loss column and 50 wins all but out-of-reach, could it be that we’re happy now with ‘getting by’ for the remainder of the regular season? Is it reasonable to expect our guys to be able to ‘turn it off’ now, then successfully ‘turn it back on’ come playoffs? Not from what I’ve witnessed this season.

My sprint coach in high school always implored us to ‘run through the tape’, and he always placed the practice tape at 110 meters when we were training to run 100 meters. It seems Woody, Sund, et al had the tape set at 70 meters, and forgot to inform Cleveland, Boston, Orlando, and others.

Elijah

April 1st, 2009
5:11 pm

WE NEED SPEEDY TO PLAY. HAWKS ARE NOT COLLECTING INSURANCE CHECKS ON HIM

doc

April 1st, 2009
5:15 pm

itll be interesting to see what happens in the next few days the hawks are playing well but we needt o win on the road if we are going to be legitimate i want to see us attack boston and win that gtame because it is a huge game and by the way i am really lame and i have no life so we eneed to win some games and thsi si important because if we dont then we will not be perceived as al egitimate contender so lets go aout on wfirday and win

bigdave

April 1st, 2009
5:18 pm

agreed Melvin… and i think we are in need of one…

Astro Joe

April 1st, 2009
5:19 pm

DING!

bigdave

April 1st, 2009
5:22 pm

i especially like Rubio… gives you that throwback Pistol Pete look with the lankiness and floppy hair…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSBLKrZCkeU

bigdave

April 1st, 2009
5:26 pm

ok… i LOVE RUBIO…. WE NEED THIS GUY…
THE BOY HAS FLARE LIKE RICK… “WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

bigdave

April 1st, 2009
5:29 pm

better yet… we dont need this guy, id actually enjoy his game and would like to see him grow and develop as a NBA pro… the Hawks would bottle his game up and misuse his skills and ability in our pedestrian offense…

I MUS.WRITE

April 1st, 2009
5:31 pm

Willie Warren and Calathes are not Pg”s but i agree there are sum Pg’s on that list that are worthy of our pick ……………………. Ray is losing it !! LOL

O'brien

April 1st, 2009
6:28 pm

Why bother draft a PG when we have Speedy and Acie on the roster, and we know that Woody will not play them anyway.

Since Bibby’s $15m comes off the books, maybe we can trade Chills rights and our first round pick for a veteran PG (add Speedy if they want cap relief). Maybe we can do a sign and trade for a (restricted) PG. Felton is restricted, so is Jack, so is Sessions in Milwaukee. I like Hinrich, but his price ($10m) is too high. Maybe Luke Ridnour ($6.5m). We dont need any draft picks with Woody coaching.

Melvin

April 1st, 2009
7:01 pm

Is Hinrich contract (10 mil) really to high when we are currently paying Bibby 15mil….

I like that Ricky guy. Not sure if he will get away with that tricky (crab) dibbling in the NBA…

Astro Joe

April 1st, 2009
7:11 pm

O’Brien, Hinrich has a declining salary so I think he averages around $8M for the remainder of his deal. Speedy has a similar declining salary.

The back of Elijah's mind

April 1st, 2009
7:15 pm

Speedy Speedy Speedy Speedy Why no Speedy?

Gosh, I’m bored. ………………..I know, I’ll post as Big Ray!

Well that wasn’t as much fun as I thought.

I know, I’ll post as doc this time.

er,,,,,, oh yeah, Speedy Speedy Speedy Speedy….etc.

The front of Elijah's mind

April 1st, 2009
7:17 pm

What he said, yeah that’s the ticket.

terrell barron

April 1st, 2009
7:32 pm

What about a deal for Delonte West? Cleveland has Mo Williams running the show.

Melvin

April 1st, 2009
7:43 pm

TB, not sure if Cleveland is willing to breakup their chemistry. Especially, if they make it to the Finals…

O'brien

April 1st, 2009
7:47 pm

Hawks might have caught a break (if they play Philly). Thad Young is expected to miss 2-3 weeks.

TB, I think Delonte West is another version of Flip. He could run the point, but he is more of a scorer.

How do you guys feel about Ramon Sessions from Mil.

He averages 12.2 pts, 3.3 rebs, 5.3 assists (compare that to Bibby’s
14.9 pts, 3.5 rebs, 4.8 assists). Sessions is a restricted free agent, and his salary this year is $723,000. (I dont know if he plays good defense or not, or if he drives and dishes).

otrhawksfan

April 1st, 2009
7:47 pm

hey guys do you notice how we come out on timeouts with the ball and get a turn over or a bad shot. How is this possible i realy clue on that and the past games that i have heard we either get a turnover or a missed shot. another thing i made me cringe in the game last night was. we were down by 3 after that lou williams shot and flip took that early shot instead of movivng the ball to j-slam. i think we will play philly. i just hope we can get some type of advantage from our front court. mainly al and we should be okay. I do sense we beat boston though so lets see.

Lets go hawks!!!!!

Shaunty

April 1st, 2009
7:52 pm

The lack of a center will result in an early playoff exit unless Horford wakes up.

doc

April 1st, 2009
7:59 pm

wow another futile attempt to post as me nto that its bad or anything its good that someone wants to be you must mean yuor doign something irght

Samuel

April 1st, 2009
8:05 pm

Not another EURO sensation! He (Rubio) looks good on Youtube. We’ll see if he can handle the “MAN’S LEAGUE”. He better hit the weight room.

Woody=COY

Big Ray

April 1st, 2009
8:24 pm

BigDave,

Hate to pee on your parade, but let’s think about this for a second. Take rookie pg, drafted towards end of 1st round. Add Woody. Is the recipe beginning to smell bad yet?

Astro Joe,

Still endorsing the Hinrich move…

Doc,

If keeping Bibby is keeping chemistry, we know who failed chemistry class in high school….

O’Brien,

Agreed on the drafting a pg thing. Best not to do so with Woody at the helm, as he is likely not at all interested in another young pg. I could go for Sessions, but Milwaukee would be stupid to give him up. Conversely, we would be stupid to get Ridnour, I think. We’re talking about a guy that Bibby is able to GUARD. And he was able to run past Ridnour at will.

I could go for Jack or Felton. You’re right, Acie is not ready. We know why. But he sure seemed that way in the preseason. Wonder what happened….nevermind, we know that, too.

GA Bulldawg

April 1st, 2009
8:39 pm

Other than the fact that Acie doesn’t have a consistent jump shot, why is he not ready? I didn’t watch him in amy preseason games and I’ve only seen him play in garbage/cleanup minutes in blowouts, and he’s been solid. And also, what happened to him?

Big Ray

April 1st, 2009
8:41 pm

Samuel,

Have to agree. I don’t believe in Rubio. He MIGHT be good. Might not. They thought Jasikevicius could rule this league after what he and his team did to us in the Olympics several years ago. They were wrong.

Haven’t seen a Euro guard THAT good since Drazen Petrovic or Sarunas Marciulonis. Of course, there is that guy named Tony Parker…but so many don’t think of him as Euro…and I guess we can’t EXACTLY count Ginobilli.

Big Ray

April 1st, 2009
8:42 pm

Ken Strickland,

Come now, you remember bigdummy830 from the falcons blog. Don’t let him start in on you here, in your place of peace.

Big Ray

April 1st, 2009
8:49 pm

GA Bulldog,

I wouldn’t hesitate to get another pg to compete with/play in front of/back up Acie, but I’d give Acie a shot at running things. Just make sure the other guy at pg can run things if Acie SHOWS himself to not be ready for it. Otherwise, how does a young pg ever GET READY to start?

By playing. No risk, no reward. No test, no pass or fail.

ltdbrave

April 1st, 2009
9:01 pm

Makes no difference whether it is Philly or Miami. If Johnson and Bibby do not start to play consistent ball and score, the Hawks will not win.

Astro Joe

April 1st, 2009
9:13 pm

Here’s the thing, if Woody goes and we hire (insert your favorite name here), why would we draft a PG at 18-20? Wouldn’t we give that coach a chance to work with a guy who was chosen in the lottery and at least has some appreciation for the rigors of the NBA? I can’t find any logical reason to draft a PG at 18-20 regardless of who is coaching the team.

Melvin

April 1st, 2009
9:36 pm

Samuel and AstroJoe, yall are not the only two. Steve Smith and Ernie Smith just endorse Woody as COY on NBATV tonite….:(

Najeh Davenpoop

April 1st, 2009
9:36 pm

“Here’s the thing, if Woody goes and we hire (insert your favorite name here), why would we draft a PG at 18-20?”

Exactly.

To draft a non-lottery point guard in the weak upcoming draft would be a signal that you think your current lottery-pick point guard from an average draft is a bust. Acie Law may not have a whole lot on his resume at this point, but he’s certainly not a bust.

Ken Strickland

April 1st, 2009
9:38 pm

I did a little research and came up with the a PG we could draft that fits the criteria I previously mentioned. He’s Boston College’s Tyrease Rice 6′1″ 190lbs and is extremely quick, fast, an excellent midrange shooter, penetrator and scorer. He’s the perfect combination of Bibby and Acie and he could make it hard for Woodson to reject him. He’s a pesky defender and has the lateral movement and quick feet to become an excellent defender.

Bottomline, Bibby isn’t the answer and Acie will never be allowed to be the answer as long as Woodson and his system are in place. The best way to use Bibby is to bring him off the bench like we do Flip.

Melvin

April 1st, 2009
9:40 pm

Give me Moe Cheeks with your cheesesteak AstroJoe….

Big Ray

April 1st, 2009
9:52 pm

Najeh,

Agreed. But sometimes, out of the same mouths that promote Woody, comes the idea that Acie isn’t the guy. That, and having Woody simply accentuates the foolishness of drafting a pg this year.

Ken,

Even better in my opinion is to let Bibby go. Acie then HAS to get some run. But here’s the catch: you still need an alternative, and his name isn’t Flip Murray. I’d still get another pg, just not through the draft. Woody ain’t interested in rookie pgs. His name is not Eric Spoelstra….

That, and I’d really like to see Acie get his shot. But I wouldn’t bank everything on him. That’s just smart thinking. Better to create a healthy competition at that position and re-sign/allow Flip to do what he’s doing: coming off the bench as a featured scorer.

Big Ray

April 1st, 2009
9:56 pm

More food for thought, via Fox Sports (Charley Rosen):

Why isn’t Joe Johnson recognized as being the great player that he really is? Is it because he plays for the Hawks? — Aaron Ju, South Pasadena, CA

Joe Johnson is rapidly wearing down. (Scott Cunningham / Getty Images)

For sure, if J.J. played in N.Y., Boston, L.A. or Chicago, he’d be much more appreciated in the basketball universe. The most significant problem is that the Hawks haven’t been serious contenders in quite a while. Another problem is that, as he approaches his 28th birthday, Johnson is rapidly wearing down.
With Mike Bibby no longer able to carry the ball into the paint on a regular basis, Johnson and Flip Murray are the only wings who can create their own shots and also get to the foul line. But Johnson plays more minutes than Murray, and therefore takes more of a beating from the opponents’ bigs.
Rarely does Johnson simply catch and shoot. Instead, he’s much more likely to venture into the bosom of a defense, then fake, spin and/or step-through before finding an acceptable shot. No wonder his best days are already receding in the rearview mirror.
Another factor is his routine task of defending the best wingman on the other team. Plus, Johnson is also asked to play some point guard, another duty that affords him very little off-the-ball rest.
Moreover, except for his injury-plagued season of 2006-07 — when he only played in 57 games — Johnson has missed a mere seven games since he entered the league in 2001.
Still, he remains a great player who certainly deserves more kudos that he usually receives.

Big Ray

April 1st, 2009
9:56 pm

Melvin,

heh, heh. I’m not going there….

jhan

April 1st, 2009
9:57 pm

No need to draft a PG unless someone like Lawson drops.

Defense wins championships! The Hawks only play defense with 4 players when Bibby is on the floor.

I don’t think JJ is done as a SG. I think he SHOULD be done having to play defense against PG’s.

If we get a solid PG that can average 10 & 10 while adequately guarding his position you will see a rejuvenated JJ. He’s forced to do too much right now.

RLP

April 1st, 2009
10:01 pm

Detroit loses to Nets. The Hawks will be seeded no lower than sixth.

Bobcats have Celtics in OT in Boston. How hot are they?

Heat up on Mavs in Dallas by 6. with about 8 minutes to go. Game in the third period

Astro Joe

April 1st, 2009
10:10 pm

Melvin, seriously, I don’t endorse Woody as COY. I just think that he deserves a little local love for what the team has accomplished. I don’t expect the national media to recognize anything good about this team. I’m guessing if you polled the average NBA fan, they would say that our record is worse than the Heat, 76ers and Pistons.

Sund once thought highly of Acie and I have no idea if his opinion has chaned now that he has had a better chance to see him up close (and no, I’m not talking about in games, I assume that Sund sometimes watches practices as well). I heard Sund mention in a recent interview (last 2 weeks) about the development of Devin Harris. So I’m guessing that he won’t give up on Acie after only 2 years.

Charlotte looks like they’re going to beat Boston in Boston after defeating the Lakers last night. I watched a lot of this game. Charlotte has played some terrific defense all night. I wish the Hawks could defend like this on the road.

Astro Joe

April 1st, 2009
10:11 pm

Oops, Mr. Shutteswoth just tied the game with a clutch 3 after shooting like NBDL call-up for most of the game. Still, Bobcats have only allowed 101 points after 53 minutes… on the road.

Astro Joe

April 1st, 2009
10:21 pm

Melvin, Cheeks wouldn’t be a bad choice. I’d prefer him over Avery Johnson (at least based on some things I’ve read about hos controlling Avery was with Dallas).

This team misses Marvin, including Joe. Marvin keeps the opposing SF from doubling Joe. Now, we have to play a 3-guard offense in order to stop the double-teams. And that usually leads to us getting killed on the boards. I haven’t been overly concerned with our offense (we mostly lose when we forget to defend) but we have failed to break 95 points in the past 4 games. Granted, against high quality opponents, but we clearly need to step up our offensive game. And our next opponent is who? Oh yeah, Boston.

Samuel

April 1st, 2009
10:24 pm

hey, what does Smitty know? Now, if I could only get my other Cuz on board to endorse his own.

Woody=COY

RLP

April 1st, 2009
10:29 pm

Bobcats take Celtics to second OT before losing game by 2 points.

Samuel

April 1st, 2009
10:37 pm

I don’t think JJ is wearing down, I think he needs to realize that he aint the only game in town. He could make things a lot easier for himself by an occassional pass inside and spotting up for the jumper. Instead, he wants to pound the ball and “bump and grind” his way to the basket. He’s becomming inconsistant as a scorer and that’s hurting us. Bibby is off but he will show up in the playoffs.

Like it or not, these guys do think that they can turn it up another notch. They have proven that they can so I’m really not worried about this team no matter who we play in the first round. Say what you want but they do seem to get up for the big games. Home court advantage will be enough for a first round series win. Count on it.

Woody=COY

RLP

April 1st, 2009
10:57 pm

Comparing Detroit and Charlotte is interesting. They play each other in Detroit. They each play the 76ers but the Bobcats have them at home and Detroit in Philly. They each play Chicago but Detroit gets them at home while the Bobcats go to Chicago. Detroit pays the Nets at home and the Bobcats play them in new Jersey. They each play Miami but the Bobcats play them at home and Detroit plays them in Miami. They each have two more road games but the Bobcats play Oklahoma City and Orlando while Detroit plays at the Knicks and Indiana. At the moment Detroit has a 2-1 edge over the Bobcats but if the Bobcats win in Detroit and the two teams tie for the eighth position they will have to go to the next tie breaker. The next tie breaker is the division records. That would give Detroit the lead right now. So for the Bobcats to get the eighth spot they need to be one game ahead of Detroit. Detroit has been 3-7 in their last tne. The Bobcats have been 6 – 4. I do not think the Bobcats can do it but they have a shot.

RLP

April 1st, 2009
11:08 pm

Heat lose. The magic number to clinch no lower than 5th is now 3! The 76ers will probably be the Hawks opponent and it is yet to be determined who will have home court although the Hawks are leading.

I think the 76ers will be harder for the Hawks to defeat. In order to do so home court is really necessary.

Filthidelphia

April 1st, 2009
11:14 pm

Damn that city stinks. Bring on Miami! Maybe there’ll be less racists than in Boston.

cp

April 1st, 2009
11:19 pm

I watched the Celts/Bobcats game. The Cats had the game but they kind of unraveled in that fourth quarter. They probably should have left Augustine in the game. I like Felton but his lack of a jumper and his questionable decisions with the ball in his hands cost them tonight. I would love for them to make the playoffs. They are a nice team to watch. Larry really has them playing some good ball.

doc

April 1st, 2009
11:22 pm

aj i agree that the man deserves some cudos, just dont think he is the complete product yet.

seems lkie soemone likes to maek fun fo dyslexci peopel.

niremetal

April 1st, 2009
11:44 pm

Co-sign Samuel’s last post as far as JJ goes.

But I wouldn’t bank on us holding home court against either Philly or Wade…er, Miami.

Shaunty

April 2nd, 2009
12:02 am

Boy Mario need to learn how to shoot! No excuse for a bench player to not be able to make a jumpshot

Cha heard!!!

Shaunty

April 2nd, 2009
12:42 am

Since Bruce Levenson said that every player and coach in sports is on a day-to-day contract, should Joe be released after last night’s performance?

Ed

April 2nd, 2009
2:50 am

Hawks73

April 1st, 2009
10:11 am
Unfortuately we will be having this conversation next year.

doc

April 2nd, 2009
8:09 am

as far as minutes played, the difference on the body is that of 4 mpg if you play 40 vs 36 as it is with jj and say kobe or nash. if you carry that out it is like playing an extra 10 games a year. it will take its toll, guaranteed. if jj isnt worn down now he will be and can anyone elucidate on why he seemed in slow motion for parts of the season if he wasnt?

funny folks talk of how challenging it is for jj to be left with a top player to guard. isnt that what happens when you are the best anyway. dont you get that assignment or does kobe or wade take time off on defense? i was shocked the other night when i heard wade lead the league in BLOCKS. jj got two in 30 games. not in the same universe with wade.

DOUGLAS EDWARDS

April 2nd, 2009
8:53 am

THE PROBLEM WITH THE HAWKS IS JOE JOHNSON, WOODSON (THE BIGGEST PROBLEM), AND MIKE BIBBY. WE SHOULD NOT RESIGN BIBBY, LAW WAS A SUPERSTAR IN COLLEGE AND COULD BE ONE IN THE NBA IF NOT FOR WOODSON. J.J IS NOT A SUPERSTAR, THINK ABOUT IT, WHAT STAR PLAYER HAS GAMES WITH BELOW 15 POINTS ON THE REGULAR. WE SHOULD TRADE HIM IN THE OFFSEASON FOR A SOLID BIG MAN OR GUAD AND A HIGH DRAFT PICK. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WOODSON! THIS GUY MAKES ME SICK HE HAS TO BE THE DUMBEST COACH IN LEAUGE HISTORY. HE DOESNT PLAY HIS PLAYERS ON THE BENCH, HE SWICTHES ON EVERY PICK AND ROLL REGARDLESS OF WHO IS ON WHO AND HE TRYS TO GRIND IT OUT WITH A FRONTLINE THATS 6FT8,6FT6 AND MW AT 6FT7 INSTEAD OF PUSHING THE BALL. WHAT A JOKE. HIS OFFENSIVE SETS HAVE TO BE THE WORST IN THE LEAUGE. THE HAWKS SHOULD BUILD AROUND HORFORD AND MARVIN WIILIAMS. I FEEL SORRY FOR BILLY KNIGHT HE PUT A SOLID TEAM AROUND WOODSON, BUT HELL HE COULDNT EVEN GET ALONG WITH DIAW,OR SALIM. THE ONLY PICK THAT SUCKED WAS SHELDEN WILLIAMS. BUT WORD IS, WOODSON WENT TO OWNERSHIP AND REQUESTED HIM, HELL BILLY KNIGHT DIDNT EVEN INVITE HIM TO WORK OUT.

Astro Joe

April 2nd, 2009
9:18 am

doc, I completely agree and you’ve never seen me suggest otherwise. I’m just evaluating on an annual basis (like we do in the office). Sometimes you have a great year, producing the best ideas, selling the most product, creating the cost-saving processes. Next year, not so much… your blogging all the time, debating basketball and checking out standings. Neither year is likely a statement of your overall lifetime value, it just is the roller-coaster of performance (most can’t be Tiger or MJ). I think it is okay to acknowledge that Woody has been pretty good this season without recommending that his face be carved into the Mount Rushmore of NBA coaches.

O'brien

April 2nd, 2009
9:49 am

If I’m not mistaken, the 76ers beat the Hawks in ATL this season. And the one game we won agaisnt them (in Phillips), they were up by 20 or so at one point, and we made a big run. My point being home court alone does not guarantee that the Hawks will beat the sixers (just because we swept Boston in the playoffs at home).

I dont think JJ is wearing down as yet, but I would be concerned about the next contract we give him. If it’s a 4 year deal, then I’m okay with that. But JJ has been in the top 3 for minutes played the last few seasons. And he plays some PG, and defends the other team’s best wing player sometimes. Sooner or later, his body will start wearing down.

Shaunty

April 2nd, 2009
10:09 am

Since Bruce Levenson said that every player and coach in sports is on a day-to-day contract, should Joe be released after last night’s performance?

Shaunty

April 2nd, 2009
10:19 am

Since Bruce Levenson said that every player and coach in sports is on a day-to-day contract, should Joe be released after Tuesday night’s performance?

darrell starks

April 2nd, 2009
10:31 am

People around the league continue to say the hawks dont have a deep bench how can you have a deep bench with WOODY coaching HE NEVER tried to develop his bench AND THATS GOING TO BE HIS downfall as coach the hawks have talent but under the wrong system. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Melvin

April 2nd, 2009
10:39 am

O’brien, I like our chances in the playoffs with the homecourt advantage whether it Philly or Miami. Playoff basketball is different from the regular season. Especially when you have 20K screaming fans cheering their team on. Phillips will be rocking. If the NBA Champs Boston Celtics couldnt win a game is Phillips during the Playoffs last season, I’m definitely not afraid of the 76ers or Heat coming into our Mad House this season…

JuliusCesaer

April 2nd, 2009
12:39 pm

I dont care who the Hawks play. They will win the NBA title regardless of who they face. The Hawks will play like they played Boston last year in the playoffs and how they played the Lakers in their last meeting with Los Angeles. The Hawks will win no matter what because it is their destiny to win the world title this season.

Ken Strickland

April 2nd, 2009
12:46 pm

I have no doubt about our ability to defeat Miami or Philly in a series, but we all have to be honest. The HC’s of both teams do a far better job of motivating and preparing their teams to go to battle in big gms than Woodson. That advantage in preparation and motivation makes the biggest difference when playing on the road, and that’s precisely where we have our problems.

Even if we had home court advantage throughout the plaoffs, we couldn’t realistically expect to go undefeated at home throughout the playoffs. It’s up to the HC and his staff to compensate for the absence of home fan support by providing better pregame and in game preparation, motivation and strategy. He has to make certain his players stick to that strategy and not allow one player to dominate the OFF with one on one play, which Woodson allows to happen far too often. Whether we win the series against either team depends on whether Woodson decides to be a coach or a sideline distraction.

Astro Joe

April 2nd, 2009
1:16 pm

Ken, how can you be so sure that rookie head coaches on teams with records worse than the Hawks are doing a better job of motivating their teams to win big games? Have we seen either coach work the sidelines in a playoff series? Are those teams slaying the big dogs but losing excessively to the dreads of the league (is that why they’re looking up to the Hawks over these last 70+ games?) Again, dude has his flaws but let’s not decide that an interim coach and the youngest coach in the league (neither of whom have coached 160 games between them) are suddenly Red F’ing Auerbach when put next to Woody. My goodness, we need to put BK & Sund in the HOF if this team is about to reach the 4th seed with the game’s worse coach in the history of mankind. Or maybe just the assistant coaches. I guess everyone involved BUT Woody. Whew!

I MUS.WRITE

April 2nd, 2009
2:35 pm

Dominue- In the house, i gathered sum intresting facts from him while he was at my work….. He says ” The Hawks will offer bibby between 7-8 milli a year next year and if he doesnt accept we will have another veteran PG running the show” Which veteran PG tho….. I personnally would like to see us get Raymond Felton or Raymond Sessions and then draft the best Pg at pick 19.

As in talking to Nique -i wanted to ask him ” Why are you always riding your own testicles” We know you are among the 50 greatest but we dont need to be reminded of it every broadcast.

Acie Law is not the answer at the Pg position…..yeah he’s been hurt and has gotten inconsisten minutes but its time to move on. Resign Bibby at 7 mill or offer it to Felton and draft Lawson or Maynor. Resign Flip asap and use Chilldress, AC, Solo,2nd to get a big man

If we any chance at g4etting Javeel Mcgee we should make that happen ….draft picks , pick or two-Git’r done

Michael johnson was here earlier as well ….. He said it was dream of his to play for the Falcons, immediately after that the agent cuts him off and says we want to go to Green Bay at pick 10-shoot for the money. ….. Cha Ching. After getting a good look at MJ-He is huge and really ripped to peices -if he is as athletic as they say -I wouldnt mind getting him at 24 – Our coaches would transform his so called passive attitude and get him mean and nasty. I like the kid sidbury as well

Melvin

April 2nd, 2009
2:52 pm

IMUS, Did Nique mention anything about resigning Marvin? If we offer Bibby 7-8 mil, you can’t bet Bibby will be back in a Hawk uniform next season. I don’t think he will get a better deal anywhere… Get me Felton…

Ken Strickland

April 2nd, 2009
2:57 pm

ASTRO JOE-I’ve seen Philly lose PF Elton Brand, their Allstar FA, for the season, get off to a horrible start and still end up challenging us for the 4th seed. We, on the other hand, got off to a great start and have had to battle to hold on the that 4th seed. Miami changed it’s roster, got off to a bad start and they too have been challenging us for the 4th seed. We, on the other hand, got off to a great start, but have had to battle both teams to hold on to the 4th seed.

You can’t tell me they’re quicker, faster, more athletic deeper or more talented than we are. Instead of trying to hold them off for the 4th seed, we should have been battling to take over the 3rd or 2nd seed. IF WE’D CONSISTENTLY UTILIZED OUR BENCH PROPERLY, CONSISTENTLY PLAYED AN UPTEMPO OFF AND MADE IN GM ADJUSTMENTS, WE’D PLAY AND WIN MORE CONSISTENTLY, ESPECIALLY ON THE ROAD.

Still

April 2nd, 2009
3:02 pm

So, you want a new blog or do you want to read the one that’s been up for three days already?

DOUGLAS EDWARDS

April 2nd, 2009
3:12 pm

I MUST. WRITE,

IF THE HAWKS MADE THOSE MOVES, THEY WOULD BE LUCKY TO WIN 25 GAMES…. U KNOW ACIE LAW HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN A FAIR CHANCE TO SHOW HIS SKILLS, THE KID WAS A SUPERSTAR IN COLLEGE, VERY CLUTH, AND A GREAT LEADER…..WOODSON REFUSES TO PLAY HIM…. WOODSON IS A IDIOT ..HE MUST GO…..BIBBY IS GARBAGE, HE CANT MACTHUP WITH ANY SOLID POINT GUARD,THEREFORE IF HIS SHOT IS NOT FALLING, HE SHOULDNT BE IN THE GAME…HE TAKES HORRIBLE SHOTS ALSO… FELTON ? NO COMMENT…… BUT I WOULD TAKE MAYNOR , HE COULD BACK UP ACIE LAW , AND ALSO HE COULD ALLOW ACIE TO PLAY OFF THE BALL…. LET BIBBY, WOODSON, JOE JOHNSON AND MO EVANS GO….RESIGN MARVIN AND FLIP…. HIRE A COACH WHO WANTS TO PUSH THE TEMPO, AND THE HAWKS WOULD WIN 60 GAMES, EVEN WITH A SMALL BUT VERY ATHLETHIC FRONT LINE…. TRADE JOE JOHNSON FOR A HIGH 1ST ROUND PICK AND A SOLID BIG MAN….., SORRY PEOPLE, WE WILL NEVER WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP WITH HIM AS OUR FIRST OPTION, I THINK HE IS A SOLID PLAYER, BUT NOT A SUPERSTAR…. I WOULD REALLY WELCOME J CHILL BACK WITH THE HAWKS ALSO…. BUILD AROUND HORTFORD AND MARVIN..

Astro Joe

April 2nd, 2009
4:05 pm

Ken, so if Woody had used Solo, Acie, Mario, etc. we could have improved by around 10-12 wins? Because those guys would have stepped up to the plate? Because every player in the NBA automatically gets better (and can play with other elite players) when they get playing time? Is that what you’re believing?

You do realize that Philly’s current team is pretty much the identical team that finished either in the 6th or 7th slot last year, right?

You must have been a huge BK fan if you think that this current roster if properly coached should have been as high as the #2 seed in the conference. SHOCKING!

dmortone

April 2nd, 2009
5:04 pm

For perspective, let’s look at the last couple years on NBA title contenders.
Boston-gained 2 superstars, won NBA title, contending this year
Orlando-was 3 seed last year, is 2-3 seed this year, contending for NBA title
Cleveland-legit 4 seed last year, gained legit pg, contending for NBA title
Lakers-accepted gift of Pau Gasol for a bag of peanuts, contending for NBA title
Detroit-frustrated they’re always 2nd best in the conference, trade best player, might miss the playoffs entirely

Atanta-barely backed into playoffs last year with a sub .500 record, gained NO new starters, improved to 11 games over .500

Anyone who expects us to contend for a title is deluding themselves. Have we lost a few games we shouldn’t have? Sure. Have we won a few games we shouldn’t have? Absolutely. Before the season, this is honestly the best season we could have hoped for.

How do we take that next step for the next season? No clue, else I’d be running an NBA team. But in the short term, I’m happy with what we’ve got. I just hope we don’t sell the farm because we’re only an above-average team.

Big Ump

April 2nd, 2009
5:32 pm

Astro Joe

Way to tell it like it is.

GA Bulldawg

April 2nd, 2009
5:52 pm

I say we go after a better veteran guard such as Rafer Alston…now before you look at his stats let me just say this. His stats won’t overwhelm you but Alston is a very good point guard. He’s quite underrated. Rafer is a floor general that we need to bring back the Joe of 2006-2007. He controls the tempo of the game and is an excellent passer…if you ever watched Rockets games or Magic games then you know what I’m talking about. He’s not really a scorer like Bibby or CP3 or D Will but at least he won’t chuck up forced shots like Bibby and he can penetrate and kick out, which is what we need to make JJ more efficient. He also brings DEFENSE! Yayyy lol…cause Bibby has failed in that area. JJ still has a lot of talent but he has to do SO MUCH. He basically has to play 3 positions and defend 3 positions while playing 42 minutes a night!!! Until we get a better point guard and a better offense, (which requires a new coach that understands spacing, ball movement and movement without the ball), then we can’t have an efficient Joe. Joe is already worn out and will continue to be worn out…when I watched the Sixers game the other night he just looked so out of it, I wanted to pull him out of the game and give him a hug lol…no but seriously, I truly appreciate his leadership out there on the court but the coaching staff management takes him for granted by not using him the right way.

GA Bulldawg

April 2nd, 2009
6:01 pm

Douglas Edwards while I respect your opinions, I strongly disagree that we can’t win with JJ as our first option. See my post above…we need a new coach, with a new offense as well as a cheap, traditional point guard such as Rafer Alston. Orlando won’t need him next year when Jameer Nelson gets back, so we might as well sign him. JJ will be much more effective when he can play his natural 2 guard role off the plays of a floor general

Ken Strickland

April 2nd, 2009
6:30 pm

ASTRO JOE-come on, don’t try to put words in my mouth. I never said we should be the #2 seed. I said we should be competing for the #3 or #2 seed. There’s a big difference in the 2 statements.

Please answer the following questions. Do, or do you not think;
(1)the Hawks would be a more consistent team if Woodson allowed the team to play to its strength and consistently run more?
(2)we’d be a more consistent team if Woodson developed and/or used his bench players more and his key starters less?
(3)we’d be more consistent if Woodson made his key players play more team ball and less individual one on one and isolation?
(4)our younger, less experienced players would benefit more, and develop much more, if Woodson was more encouraging, trusting and tolerant of them during their developmental process, instead of being adversarial, confrontational, intolerant and reactionary?
(5)we’d be a better team with a better won/loss record if we had better coaching, player usage. time mgt and a OFF system that takes better advantage of our speed, quickness, athleticism and depth?

O'brien

April 2nd, 2009
6:40 pm

GA Bulldawg, Rafer Alston is 32 years old. I think we need to find somebody younger, and thats one reason I am not a fan of resigning Bibby (who is also a defensive liability).

GA Bulldawg

April 2nd, 2009
7:41 pm

Okay never mind about Alston. You’re right…we gotta plan for the future. How about Earl Watson?? He is 29, which i think is a decent age. Watson is a very good backup..one of the best in the league after Hinrich. He is another underrated point guard. I say we start Acie Law and allow him to develop into a legit starter (ultimately depends on Woody of course…”sighhhs”) but bring Watson off the bench. Again, his stats don’t really mean much cause his playing time has been up and down all year playing behind ROY candidate Russell Westbrook. If you really need some valid stats look at 07-08 in Seattle. He’s not much of a scorer either but will at least look to pass instead of shoot first, even if he is having a bad shooting night unlike Bibby.

Astro Joe

April 2nd, 2009
8:56 pm

Ken, yes to most of your questions. I’m not sure about the quality of the players at the end of our bench. Other than Acie (which would have brought the rotation to 9), how many teams are playing 10 or more players on a regular basis? And I’m not talking about a bottom-feeding team like OKC but a team that is trying to win and not just simply develop their players.

Here’s my analogy… a culinary expert who has to use average ingredients, average cooking equipment and average utensils is not likely going to serve up a meal as good as the same chef who is working with better ingredients, equipment, etc. We have a bench that features 1 first round pick (Acie), several undrafted free agents and a few second rounders. Isn’t it possible that these guys are simply not that good? That some of them are comparable to Salim who isn’t in the league? Isn’t possible that our chef has mostly average ingredients, tools, etc. to work with?

O'brien

April 2nd, 2009
9:00 pm

GA Bulldawg, one problem with Watson is that he is not a free agent so you would have to trade for him.

I like Jarret Jack. He is a restricted free agent, and his current salary is roughly $2 million. The Pacers are paying TJ Ford $8 million, and they still have Jamal Tinsley on the roster, paying him $6.75 million. If we sign Jack to an offer sheet of $4 million, will they match?

Raymnd Felton is also a restricted free agent, and Charlotte has DJ Augustin. Felton made $4.2 milion this year. Would we prefer Felton for $6 million, or pay Bibby $8 million. (I havent seen Felton play much, so I dont know).

I also like Hirich (if his salary is about $8 million), instead of paying Bibby $8 million to resign.

I also like Ramon Sessions in Milwaukee, he is restricted (made $723,000 this year). But as Ray pointed out, The Bucks would be stupid not to keep him.

I just dont think Bibby is the answer. He kills our defense, does not drive and dish, inconsistent shooter, and he bogs down the offense (along with JJ). Plus he is getting older and slower.

Sautee

April 2nd, 2009
9:47 pm

Astro Joe,

Good comments with you and Ken. However, I’ll let you know that Popovich used ten players against us and that was without Duncan, so he actually went 11 deep.

And that’s with less of a lead for the #2 spot in the West than we have for #4.

I’ll assume that you don’t lump the Spurs in with the bottom feeders.

Woody is coaching scared down the stretch, just like last year. Even with more wins, he’s still coaching scared.

GA Bulldawg

April 2nd, 2009
10:13 pm

I like Jarrett Jack too but he is another undersized combo guard, like Bibby and is also a liability on defense…like Bibby. Raymond Felton isn’t what we need either…trust me. He’s one of the more underrated guards in the league (which is why I don’t think the Bobcats will let him go) but he lacks a consistent jump shot…we already have Acie Law, who also lacks a J. Trust me, the Bulls aint gonna get rid of Hinrich, they’re keeping him as well. He isn’t even a backup point guard by virtue of his talent but they drafted Derrick Rose so of course he’ll be coming off the bench. Hinrich is arguably the best backup point guard in the NBA and would easily start on any other team. They wanna get rid of Ben Gordon anyway. As long as Hinrich continues to play well, and he has, the Bulls will keep him.

Ken Strickland

April 2nd, 2009
10:56 pm

RICHBRAVE-in addressing your analogy, how do you know one set of ingredients is superior if you haveb’t tested, tasted or gotten confirmation of its superiority? Woodson hasn’t made an effort to test, or confirm the overall ability of his younger bench players individually or collectively.

All I know is when players that Woodson doesn’t embrace for whatever reason, like Salim and Acie, they seem to regress instead of progress under his heavy handed control. As a rookie, Salim got decent mins and had a promising rookie season. After Woodson put him in his doghouse, his mins became few and far between, Woodson became completely intolerate of any mistake he made, and his gm and attitude went down hill fast. Acie started his rookie season getting extended mins and more than held his own, especially on DEF, against some of the NBA’s elite PG’s, and both the team and Acie got off to an excellent start. Just like Salim, Woodson put him in his doghouse and Acie’s performance, just like his playing time, became erratic.

Acie started his 2nd season with a renewed confidence and commitment, and it showed as he was simply dominant during preseason with extended playing time. Like the season before, both Acie and the team got off to an outstanding start. And, like the season before, Woodson put Acie in his doghouse and his performance and mins became erratic. Woodson has been just as intolerant of mistakes made by Acie as he was with Salim.

We’re approaching the end of Acie’s 2nd yr, and he’s yet to be given the opportunity, or the encouragement, to become a viable contributor to the team he was actually drafted by BK to eventually take over. Woodson obviously doesn’t want him ss his starting PG and isn’t interested in finding out what he can do. The same seems to hold true for Solo as well. Murray, Evans, Solo, Zaza and Acie, plus our starters, gives us a talented 9 man rotation. All we have to do is use what we have more effectively.

richbrave

April 2nd, 2009
11:11 pm

doc:

Guess you saw the WIZ tonight against LeBRON and Company. Considering their record, its amazing what they can do with their full complement of players and when they WANT to. BTW, they did not have their full complement of players. CRITTER was out with back spasms. Too much weight training so I understand.

O'brien

April 2nd, 2009
11:12 pm

Sekou, you mentioned the Hawks’ impressive wins over Orlando and New orleans on the road. That was Oct. 29th and Nov. 5th, the first and third games of the season. Can you really count those as impressive wins? Since starting out 4-0 on the road, the Hawks are 10-23 on the road.

Guys, if we lose to Boston tomorrow, Philly will be 2 games behind us in the loss column.

That being said, I expect the Hawks to lose in Boston. I just hope we dont get blown out early.

richbrave

April 2nd, 2009
11:13 pm

KEN STRICK:

Did I post up in my sleep? What’s up with your 10:56 p.m.?

Shaunty

April 2nd, 2009
11:47 pm

What has Sekou been doing the last 72 hours that he can’t write a new blog? It’s not like the Hawks have played since Tuesday

doc

April 3rd, 2009
12:05 am

missed it tonight richie.

hate to bring it up but here it is, minor league baseball in burbs:

http://projects.ajc.com/gallery/view/sports/braves/gwinnett_braves_stadium/#homepage_tab_newstab

Najeh Davenpoop

April 3rd, 2009
2:00 am

Woody was just shown on Inside the NBA telling Kenny Smith that the Bibby acquisition was “the most important thing that ever happened to him as a head coach”.

Looks like if Woody has anything to say about it Bibby will be back in a Hawks uniform next year.

darrell starks

April 3rd, 2009
3:13 am

Here is the scenario for next year team if BIBBY want 10million or more you hve to let him go and use that to pay MARVIN, ZAZA, AND FLIP, AND HOPEFULLY BRING CHILL BACK.

starting five ACIE, JOE, MARVIN, JOSH, HORFORD,
bench player FLIP, EVANS, CHILL, ZAZA, SOLO.

but in order for this to work you have to have a new coach? AVERY JOHNSON
now this team could really do something. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dap01

April 3rd, 2009
7:52 am

Having Bibby hit a 3 from 25 feet makes up for the lack of offensive system. Bibby is a very good role player who needs to be paid like a role player and Woody needs to be an assistant somewhere else.

doc

April 3rd, 2009
8:21 am

theo ratliff, wasnt he this franchise’s first speedy? or is it the other way around speedy is the second coming of theo? people forget what the expectations were for him when we obtained him. theo was the start of this teams fall from grace in the nba to the desultory reach we fell. amazing he is still around but better yet folks are screaming he is the type of guy we need. heh heh how things turn in the nba.

did woody say how much he appreciated bk going out and getting bibby for him to keep his job only to lose his own because of the way he had coached for four years before bibby got here. yes, whatever salary woody gets going forward from the hawks bibby is the reason. bibby made woody’s retirement a whole lot nicer. unfortunately in the big picture it doesnt get us closer to the nba ring that has eluded the hawks for longer than a half century and ranks the team second on the list of teams waiting the longest to get another one. only the kings rank worst in the nba.

richbrave

April 3rd, 2009
8:51 am

doc:

News from dogtown. Saw the pix spread last night. No worries. Life goes on. Headed to D.C. for the BRAVES-NATS APRIL 21. My first ever BRAVES ML game. Bloggers here are starting to sit up and take notice of JAVARIS’ development this year. He’s gonna’ be a good ‘un.

Astro Joe

April 3rd, 2009
9:41 am

doc, Theo, SAR & Glenn Robinson. Looked pretty good on paper. Too bad they don’t play the games on paper.

I wonder if the game entertainment crew has ever put together a Hawks Heritage of Shot-Blockers type film to show in the arena. Tree, Dikembe, Theo, Smith… not a bad list of names (likely better than most franchises in terms of elite shot-blockers). It would be fun to watch a 60 second clip of past Hawks swatting shots left and right. Did Kevin Willis ever block a shot during his NBA career? I know that one of my all-time favorite Hawks was pretty good in that area… Antoine Carr!

ILL-logical

April 3rd, 2009
9:51 am

The “Zeyphers” win over the Cavs last night stood out for a couple of reasons: 1) Tapscott got to show what a talented 10 deep squad could do to the admittedly bored/tired Cavs;but 2)served notice to the league that they are going to be a force next season. Something our guys need to recognize.

Why is Woodson playing scared going into the playoffs? He is not Sunds guy.Every GM wants his guy so that there is another layer of responsibility when the inevitable happens.These guys must get on the same page for next year because everyone is trying to get better and a lot of teams are doing a better job of developing and using thier talent. And with the economic climate free agents and rookies are going to recieve less attention(read money) with the obvious exceptions.

The current Hawks roster has enough talent IF properly developed and utilized.Playing guys in the positions that best help the team acheive its goals and that suits their abilities is step one. The days of imperial fiat must end. And the skakey track record of Sund must be recognized as well. Let’s face it, a close look at the candidates for COY and GMOY shows that neither of our guys is highly regarded by their peers/experts and neither engenders a lot of fan nor team support. So collaboration becomes key so that they both can keep their phoney baloney government jobs.

Sund needs to hire some more Coaches like Mark Price to hone the teams technical and performance skils: Julius Erving for Josh-fro on and off the court counsel on how to be 3 with limited shooting range on the court and a leader both on and off the court; Antonio Davis to assist Solo,Randolph and Othello and ZaZa(if they keep him,which I hope they do)to become the kind of big he was and trade for Javaris Critterton for a future PG with home town connections.

Woody must adjust to a new offensive scheme that is based on the reality that if he doesn’t the when question will toll much ,much sooner.

The Wizards await everyone next year with a fully loaded arsenal of talent and playing with renewed confidence; can the Hawks say the same?

Samuel

April 3rd, 2009
10:09 am

Joe,

Realistically, I just checked back through the years and through 2000 I have only seen one team (Chicago) who finished in the top 3 of the Eastern Conference without at least one Hall of Fame player.

It sounds good to say that our roster can do all this but realistically we don’t have the talent. We’re right where we should be.

ILL, what exactly has Mark Price done for such kudos?

doc

April 3rd, 2009
10:43 am

aj, carr was what chills was to me. liked them both for similar reasons. never thought much or robinson, i too over rated SAR and his numbers. he is a prime example of how numbers can be meaningless outside of fantasy basketball.

yeah richie, dont rub it in too much about javaris. i like the kid. when you go to dc, who ya rootin for?

ill we have missed three ops to get javaris already. the wiz are building for him in the future. not available.

Daniel

April 3rd, 2009
11:01 am

Ill- the Wizards have some nice young players, but remember they are playing losing basketball, and getting garbage time and minutes. Much like Durant, it is hard to truly evaluate talent on teams that are playing meaningless basketball. Plus, Arenas has to return to form for them to have any chance which is a big IF.
I do like the idea of keeping Zsa Zsa. This will be a very interesting off season for the reasons that you mentioned about the economy. Also, this dang court case will hopefully be done. Then we can really see what the ownership group is about.
As for Woodson, I think he has done a better job than is often credited on this blog, although there is certainly a lot of room for improvement. Ultimately, I will judge Woodson and this team on how they perform in the playoffs. Going in wtih the 4th seed and 45 wins or so, is exactly where they should be based on talent and expierence. If this is a team on the rise still or just a better than average team will be determined by how they play in the playoffs.

I MUS.WRITE

April 3rd, 2009
11:19 am

Douglas Edwards -What moves would those be resigning our starting PG for roughly 7 million less per season. Bibby is definitely worth 7 million a year easy.
Agreed Woodson is’nt the coach for this team, but itz hard to argue 46 wins and a 4th seed in the playoffs.

AC Law….. Come on man…. He was clutch in college, in the pro’s not so much- He’s a good on ball defender, and gets to the rim at will but a reliable scorer he is not which is why he will continue to get inconsistent minutes as long as woody is our coach. Cant understand that yungn-he goes from captain clutch in college to shooting 8ft airballs DA!!!

JJ is a solid number 2 option IMO, but i disagree that you cant win with him, We are like 11 games over 500 right now so theres your winning….. We wont win a title with him as our 1st option….The man just has too many bad games …11,13,16 pts aient going to get it done.

Resign flip -ASAP

Sund all but said he didnt care for Chillz game so why not package him, if he were to come back I would definitely welcome what he brings to the table.

Chillz/Solo/Speed expiring/ For J.Pryzbilla/2nd

Now if we could trade JJ for Aldridge and Blake sign me up…

ZULU

April 3rd, 2009
11:49 am

I agree with Samuel. What has Mark Price done? He’s another “shadow” guy. Watch a Hawks homegame and if he’s present the camera fines him often (especially for the kudo commentary). You can have all the ‘finer points’ assistants in the world but the game is played between the stripes under the lights. Preparation stops once the players step between the stripes. Woodson needs to rely “more” on his assitants and sit his #@!$#@! down. I am amazed at how difficult some coaches make the game. Too bad Coach Wooden can’t do ‘how too seminars’ for coaches,maybe Phil Jackson will when he’s done with the Lakers. “Can’t” should not be part of why you were given a spot on a professional team the NBA does not have a rule on not playing your bench.

O'brien

April 3rd, 2009
12:23 pm

It’s ironic that Woody preaches defense, but yet he gives Bibby so much credit and PT (while Acie, Solo and Mario get so little).

In my opinion, Bibby’s playoff performance will determine if he is even worth $7 million. Because if Bibby resigns with the Hawks, we can look forward to the same issues next year.
1) JJ having to guard quick point guards
2) Our bigs picking up fouls because Bibby’s guy is able to penetrate (and either make the pass or go to the line)
3) Bibby’s inconsistent jumper (1 good game, 3 bad games)
4) Not getting our bigs involved (I blame JJ and Woody too)
And Bibby will still get his 32-36 minutes a game

Obviously, Bibby does bring some positives to this team, but how much is it really worth?

doc

April 3rd, 2009
1:00 pm

for falcon fans, available linebackers just thinned out a bit before the draft. two of usc’s kids washed out positive for steroids, one of them that folks were counting on, clay matthews.

darrell starks

April 3rd, 2009
1:02 pm

Could you imagine EVANS, CHILL, CRASHING THE OFFENSIVE BOARDS that would be awesome.GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I MUS.WRITE

April 3rd, 2009
1:05 pm

O’Brien…. I can dig it those issues wont go away if we resign Bibby. I would go after Ray Felton and let him and Bibby split minutes. 7 mill is fair when u look at what guys like Arenas,Nash and Marbury make.

If Bibby tanks in the playoffs I would go in another direction via free agency -draft

doc

April 3rd, 2009
1:18 pm

i mus; nash, shouldnt be mentioned with any of those players. he also has never demanded or gotten top dollar and has two mvp’s to suggest he has delivered in kind. geez man.

O'brien

April 3rd, 2009
1:18 pm

I MUS.WRITE, I like that combination too. But I dont think Bibby or Felton will feel too good about coming off the bench.

Astro Joe

April 3rd, 2009
1:26 pm

Samuel, good call on the HOF-type player to grab a top 3 conference position. I screamed for Woody to play Salim for 3 years. If an NBA team thought that they could get a cheap guy who could stretch the defense and be an Eddie House type of player, I’m guessing that he would be on someone’s roster. Maybe, just maybe, dude doesn’t have what it takes to contribute to an NBA team and that’s why he didn’t play then and isn’t playing now.

I called for the Hawks to resign Bibby very early this season. But after watching him these past few months, I don’t think I would bring him back… under any contract terms. Some players require too much supplemental help to make them effective. Bibby pretty much requires an agile shot-blocker (think Camby, Bird Man, etc.) when he so easily gives up dribble penetration. And guys like Camby are both hard to find and quite expensive. So paying Bibby $8M would likely require another investment of $8M in a big. That just doesn’t make sense to me.

doc, I would like nothing more than to see the Hawks bring Antoine Carr in as their big man coach. Not only was he a nasty offensive player (with that sweet turn-around jumper) but he became a very good low post defender when he lost his explosiveness. I can still picture him in a Utah uniform with those googles on defending Shaq in the post… fairly effectively. Unlike Ty Hill, he could teach guys like Horford how to defend AND how to have a multi-dimensional offensive game. Like I said, he’s definitely one of my favorite Hawks of all time and someone who seemingly would be able to offer a wealth of knowledge to young bigs.

This notion of “Woody coaching scared”. You mean coaching like a guy who is convinced that the team’s best chance to advance beyond the first round is to have home court advantage? Like a guy who is convinced that he needs to play 8 experienced guys (Acie is hurt and is not an option now) as opposed to throwing in RandMo against teams like the Lakers, Celtics and Cavs in order to secure the 4th seed? Like a guy who believes that his best chance at a contract extension rests with bringing his boss’ the extra revenue that comes with more than 3 home playoff games? Why on earth would any knucklehead be thinking those thoughts? He should be developing the young talent for the next head coach, right?

O'brien

April 3rd, 2009
4:03 pm

Astro, I agree that we should not bring Bibby back. His negatives outweigh the positives.

I dont think Woody is coaching scared, but he had opportunities to play the bench earlier in the year (not necessarily against the elite teams), but definitely against the bottom feeders. There were games where Bibby and JJ are not getting it done, but he still rides them for 40 minutes a game, and we still lost those games (especially on the road).

If Zaza never got hurt, who knows if Al would have made his way to the starting lineup? Unless you are an established veteran in this league, I dont think you will get much PT from Woody. Even if we had Deron Williams on the bench, he probably wouldn’t have gotten much PT (DWIll made plenty of rookie mistakes his first season). Same goes for Rondo, who still cant make shots consistently.

However, as long as we win our first round series, Woody will be back next year. And although I am definitely not a fan of Woody, I can understand why we’ll bring him back.

Sekou, where you at? We need a new blog for the Celtics tonight.

Astro Joe

April 3rd, 2009
4:22 pm

OB, new blog is up!

I MUS.WRITE

April 3rd, 2009
4:29 pm

DOC- Calm down nobody’s bashing Stevie Nash…. He is a really good point guard, I would take him over both Arenas and Marbury, But lets not act like he’s making scraps here -the man is well compensated -not 20 mill a year but not far off either
. Those MVP’s in consecutive years are questionable…very questionable. The first MVP -okay ….that second one he was’nt even the bast point guard in the league much less the best player…..
Im still try’n to figurre out how he got the MVP when Phoenix didnt even reach the divisional finals ………..Im not a Kobe fan but at all but how does he have 1 MVP and Little Stevie has 2….they really need to change the voting process….. Wait a minute they even gave Dirk the MVP after D.wade and Mami punked Dallas in the finals …WOW!!!!!!

Basicly you MVP rationalization STINKS……..

O’brien_ I think felton would accept coming off the bench,as long as he got his minute.Bibby better accept it because all Woody would have to say is “Shut your dam mouth – when you play consistent D then you can start” LOL………

I would prefer to go yunger at PG -I think Lawson is going to be really good ….I dont think he can come in right away and start so we will need a vet pg til he’s ready.

South Beach or Cheesesteaks?

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