Another double-shot weekend
The Hawks' welcome home gift is a Saturday night date with Dwight Howard and the Magic!
BOSTON - Live from the Hawks’ second home the past year … seriously, has any team spent more time in another team’s town the past 11 months than the Hawks have here in soggy Boston?
It’s ridiculous.
Another couple of days here and the Hawks will need to start paying taxes.
Lucky for them this is probably their last tryst with the Celtics until next season (no more Duck Tours or Big Baby Davis for at least a year).
Coincidentally, this is their last weekend to try and climb off the mid-major express and move over to the predatory side of the Eastern Conference.
Tonight’s game against the Celtics and tomorrow night’s home tilt against the Orlando Magic presents the Hawks with two final opportunities to knock off the big boys.
Another inspired defensive effort like the one against the Lakers last Sunday and the Hawks might finally get the leprechaun off their backs or pay back the Magic for those back-to-back beatdowns administered a couple months back.
Another eyes-wide-shut showing like the one given in Philly Tuesday night and someone better find the map back to sanity for as one of one of our regulars likes to refer to them, “Team Fragile.”
I believe in embracing a challenge, however daunting it might seem. That’s why this second straight double-shot weekend looks more like a monster opportunity to me than it does a major hurdle.
If the Hawks are serious about being a player in the playoffs – and despite their continued inconsistency on the floor, they remain steadfast in their comments to the contrary off the floor – they can go a long way towards making sure their actions and words are in sync with some stellar play in the next 36 hours.
HOT TOPICS
1 - One thing that keeps coming up this time of year for playoff bound teams is who they might face in the postseason.
That means the Hawks spend as much time worrying about the team’s directly below them in the standings as they do worrying about themselves.
A good friend and advance scout from an Eastern Conference team that’s been in the playoffs the past few years warned me this afternoon that there is no more dangerous development for a team still in the shallow end of the playoff pool.
“We wasted a lot of time and energy on that very thing a couple years back and almost lost our spot in the standings the last two weeks of the season because we were locked in stuff that was out of our control,” he said. “You can tell the teams that lost focus this time of year by the fluctuations in their play. One night they look great and the next you wonder how it he world they’re even in the playoff mix. That’s the sign of a team that isn’t totally licked in on the task at hand. And that’s a team that’s vulnerable now and in the playoffs.”
I can think of five or six teams, the Hawks, Heat and 76ers included, that fit that mold these days. All three of those teams are busy jockeying for position, hoping to land the seed they think allows them the best first round matchup.
My scout friend makes a great point. The more time you spend foolishly spying on the competition, the less time you spend focusing on finishing the season with a bang.
2 - The back bug continues to bite the Hawks on the backside. No Acie Law IV again and no Marvin Williams anytime soon, per Hawks coach Mike Woodson at shootaround today.
Woodson has maintained a positive stance in regards to the lower back injuries that both players are dealing with. And to be fair, Williams wasn’t expected to return anytime before the final week of the regular season and the start of the playoffs (at best).
Acie Law IV isn't smiling a whole lot these days.
Law’s injury, though, is starting to worry me if only because there doesn’t appear to be anything that can be done to expedite his recovery at such a critical time for this team. You remember the Hawks’ struggles in the playoffs last year at the point guard position don’t you?
And for all the work Flip Murray has done in relief this season, his attention needs to be on scoring above all things, particularly with the playoff matchups looming (I’m predicting Flip has a field day against Philly or Miami in a series).
A change-of-pace point guard could be the difference in a seven-game series, just ask the Celtics if it made a difference against the Hawks last year when Rajon Rondo became the Most Important Player in the series.
With Law nowhere to be found, or at least not in a uniform, that leaves the Hawks vulnerable at that crucial position once again this weekend and going forward.
3 - So let me get this straight, the confidential drug screening that goes on during the NFL combine every year has turned up yet another handful of transgressors?
Just exactly what qualifies as confidential in NFL circles anyway?
I’m sure Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji would love to hear how that supposed to work since he’s been identified as one of the alleged transgressors.
Since there’s no way Raji or his representatives are going to engage in any air-clearing discussion about it, the kid is automatically considered guilty by the public without anyone knowing what actually took place and why someone chose to make it public. (I know this is off track from our normal conversation but indulge me for a minute, please.)
4 - Lost in the hoopla surrounding his explosive offensive night against Philly (some video evidence here courtesy of our friends at YouTube) was Josh Smith keeping his 100-block season streak alive for another year.
And while his block numbers are way down this season compared to his totals from the past, he collected 200 or more in each of the past three seasons, he remains one of the league’s most unique stat stuffers.
His two blocks against the 76ers gave him 101 for the season, giving 100 or more for five straight seasons.
In addition, Smith is one of only four players in the league to pile up at least 85 steals and 85 blocks this season. Miami’s Dwyane Wade, Cleveland’s LeBron James and Denver’s Nene are the others.
5 - You are not alone Hawks fans. You’re not the only group of fans out there doing the Watchmen routine on your own team.
My main man Broderick “BT” Turner from the Los Angeles Times has a fan Q&A on the paper’s website right now that is a must read for fans of teams whose teams aren’t on track for 60-wins this season.
Silly me for thinking our priorities were out of line around here for questioning how the bench is used and why Solomon Jones doesn’t see regular rotation minutes on this team. The Lakers are the second best team in the league and their fans are worried about the same sorts of things.
Maybe we’re on the right path around here after all.
Don’t forget, Hawks-Celtics at 7:30 live from TD Banknorth Garden. Chop it up with the rest of the blogfamily here now all the way through the final buzzer.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
272 comments Add your comment
ILL-logical
April 5th, 2009
9:13 am
After last night’s game my mood is somewhere between the Motor City and Monty Python: As a fan I feel like I am part of a chain of fools lead by an ownership group that obtained its assets by fraud; a third choice GM and a clueless coach.(After 5 long years I know that he ain’t my man)
But as a long time Atlantan, I guess I can always look on the bright side of life.(The beatings will continue until morale improves).
Banks
April 5th, 2009
9:52 am
Bottom Line we need a SUPER STAR Joe is the only player I know who dribbles and goes no where. I say we give him to the Globetrotters or to the And 1 league. They can call him Tricky Dribble Joe. Every Since Joe broke the bone in face in Pheonix he has not gone to hole consitenlty or aggresivley.
Hawks73
April 5th, 2009
10:00 am
“Fatigue set in,” said Hawks coach Mike Woodson. “I’m not using that as an excuse. But our guys played hard. From a defensive standpoint, we were pretty good. But offensively, we stunk tonight.
“We had our best offensive players on the floor when we went into that drought. So you have to give Orlando credit.”
Excuse number: 525…Available soon in stores near you, how to excuse your way into keeping your job by Mike Woodson
I am preaching the same old same old, Woody will use whatever excuse possible to keep the blame off of himself & his poor coaching. The reason the Hawk’s were “fatigued” was because dic!head has refused (all year long) to utilize his bench. Again, as stated previously (by the masses) our starters are good enough to compete with any team in the NBA, it’s the lack of bench development that has crippled this team. The reason bench play is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO important is two fold…1.) It gives your starters a much needed breather 2.) It develops chemistry amungst the entire squad further enhances the teams unity…most players will believe more in the coach, if he believes in them.
Woody has not even allowed for any of his bench players to be major contributors to this years (and every previous team). The team as whole sees this, and loses trust in their coach for his lack of vision. It is apparent that it’s Woody’s way or the highway…I suggest we send him and his dic!headed stubborness packing.
kwooden1
April 5th, 2009
10:05 am
I will say this about Woody, he’s doing nothing more than he usually does. When the game is tight or he feels pressure he shortens the bench. He yells at the team on the defensive end and doesn’t worry about the offensive end. He’s not the worst coach, but I agreed with everyone that we need a change. He doesn’t bring a system or a team identity, because of this I don’t think he deserve a long tenure. (5 yrs is enough) But to defend Woody, this team is an inconsistant perimeter team. Last night was another terrible showing from the field, especially 3. You can say the coach didn’t rest his players enough (and I agree) but the fact is the players kept shooting.
Positives (always start with the good)
1) IN THE PLAYOFFS!!
2) HAVE A GOOD CHANCE TO GET HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
3) Horford and JSmoove playing pretty well
Negatives
1) JUMP SHOOTING TEAM!
2) INCONSISTANT 3 Point Shooting!
3) COACH CAN’T ROTATE HIS PLAYERS
4) NO TEAM IDENTITY!!
- The HAWKS want to be a running team, but don’t push the ball.
- They want to be a defensive team, but don’t play their bench defenders enough. (Solo and Mario)
- The HAWKS have a quickness advantage over most teams at the C and PF, but don’t do enough with it.
Conclusion: REAL BUMPY RIDE ON THE HAWKS EXPRESS TO THE PLAYOFFS! AND BEYOND!
GO HAWKS!!
terrell barron
April 5th, 2009
10:13 am
If it wasn’t for an ill Kobe Bryant, we would be on a 6 game losing streak. PATHETIC! Fire Woody!!!!! Also, it’s time to break this thing up. It’s just not working. Horford is my only untouchable player as of today. Seriously!
Navigator
April 5th, 2009
11:16 am
Please folks, can we be honest for a change. The previous GM Knight wanted to fire this coach, and the owners fired him only, instead, they should have fired both. This is the time of the year that coaches earn their pay, and this one isn’t earning his. He simply cannot manufacture a win against one of the eastern powers. The series against Boston is a distant memory, as his team has one any games against them this year. Owners, admit your mistake and look for a new coah.
terrell barron
April 5th, 2009
11:45 am
I swear, if Woody comes back next year, I’m going to …!!!!!! OMG!!!!
terrell barron
April 5th, 2009
12:34 pm
I know its not a good thing to go into the Playoofs in a slump, but to be honest, I wouldn’t mind if we got the 6th seed. We USUALLY play well against Orlando.
RedTailHawk
April 5th, 2009
12:47 pm
I made the following post on 4/4 at 3:21 pm on this blog. The comments refer to the Boston game, but they remain relevant about this loss and the rest of the losses coming this season:
The Hawks came out with great energy, playing good “D”, hustling. It all went downhill from there. They are exhausted. Woody’s lack of rotation is killing them. At one point in the fourth while waiting for Boston to shoot free throws, 4 out of 5 of the Hawks on the floor were bent over double with their hands on their knees. It won’t get any better folks.
Early on, it looked like Woody actually did make some “D” adjustments for this game, but the players couldn’t execute at the pace they needed to.
Don’t know what to say about Joe these days. He looks depressed/sleepwalking.
As usual, West and Solo needed a lot more playing time. It became obvious very early that Mo had nothing at all on offense. West should have gotten all his playing time.
richbrave
April 5th, 2009
1:23 pm
Gotta’ win two more at least. LET’s go HAWKS.
O'brien
April 5th, 2009
1:37 pm
Billy Knight was not fired. He resigned.
Things Woody has said (and not done):
1) I need to get Joe some easy shots
2) I need to rest the starters and play the bench more
3) I need to do a better job of developing Acie
The way the team is playing, it’s not all Woody’s fault. However, if he is unable to get the team to do the things that he’s coaching and telling them to do, then its time for a different coach.
dap01
April 5th, 2009
2:26 pm
I am about ready to tune the Hawks out until a different coach is hired.
Woodys is the root of 90% of the Hawks problems.
Sund, where are you?
Ken Strickland
April 5th, 2009
3:34 pm
I don’t think there’s any need to get rid of JJ. It’s not his fault he’s not as athletic or dynamic as LJames or KBryant. Just put a PG next to him that can carry his own weight on DEF and do more than shoot 3’s to limit the constant double teams he receives. We need hc that can create an OFF system that allows JJ and excellent shooters like Marvin and Flip to stay in motion and run off screens to get easier shots. It’s a whole lot easier to take it to he basket when your DEF man is trailing you coming off screens than when he’s squared up in front of you with a teammate ready to double.
After 5yrs of waiting, Woodson either doesn’t get it, or refuses to do what’s best for his team and his players, if it goes against what he wants. So far, it appears Billy Knight was the only individual within the Hawks organization that saw the potentially negative effects Woodson’s attitude, approach and philosophy would have on the team and players. When he tried to do something about it, It ultimately cost him his job.
LET’S FACE IT, I’VE BEEN CRTTICIZED FOR CONSTANTLY POINTING OUT THE VERY WOODSON SHORTCOMINGS THAT ARE NOW BEING OPENLY EXPRESSED BY SO MANY OF YOU. During our season opening win streak, when Woodson used the bench and allowed us to play uptempo, I made a point of saying the real issue will be how he responds to adversity. Will he automatically revert back to his old habits of shortening the rotation, overplaying his star players, slowing the tempo and playing more ISO and one on one. WOODSON SEEMS TO OPERATE FROM THE IDEA THAT THE PLAYERS ARE THERE FOR HIS BENEFIT RATHER THAN HIM BEING THERE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PLAYERS. A LOT OF YOU CRITICIZED BK FOR NOT TALKING TO THE MEDIA AND FANS AND KEEPING US INFORMED. WELL, HOW MUCH HAS ANYONE HEARD FROM SUND, AND HOW INFORMATIVE HAS HE BEEN SINCE REPLACING BK?
ED GRAY
April 5th, 2009
3:35 pm
GET RID OF BIBBY,J.J, AND WOODSON AT THE END OF THE YEAR.. MAYBE KEEP J.J AND SEE WHAT HE WOULD DO WITH A REAL COACH…BUT IF WOODSONS BACK NEXT YEAR IM GOING TO BUY ME A MIAMI HEAT JERSEY
bigdave
April 5th, 2009
3:52 pm
I concur Ken Strickland…
Cobra Lalalalalala!!
April 5th, 2009
4:11 pm
FIRE WOODSON!!!
BA
April 5th, 2009
4:14 pm
I see a few references to our “offensive scheme”. It doesn’t matter what scheme you run if these cats won’t pass the ball.
Ryan Cameron stinks. News flash Cameron- there’s not a soul in Phillips arena that came to listen to you. I kind of doubt they’ll fire Woodson this summer, but PLEASE lose Cameron.
I don’t know who makes the musical selections during our games, but they stink worse than Cameron. We live in Black Hollywood, a veritable mecca of great R&B and rap. Instead of pumping out Goodie Mobb, or some ‘Kast, or some Monica tunes…nah, let’s play Hungry like the Wolf and that same crappy Led Zeppelin tune. It’s embarrassing.
Dear Spirit Group: it’s 2009. White people like good music too. Playing Hungry like the Wolf is NOT selling tickets. And it’s definitely NOT getting our players or the crowd hyped up.
Imagine how many games the Hawks could have won if their ownership “group” had made ANY attempt to bring in some help at the trade deadline.
Hey, why win when you can save money?
Bigtime Fan
April 5th, 2009
4:33 pm
The hawks are a very frustrating team to root for. All they do is shoot jump shots and when the 3 is not falling they don’t know what to do. It’s as if Al Hortford is an after thought. He’s the only inside presents the Hawks have yet they don’t use him. I think Hortford could be a Booker or a Elton Brand type player if he was on another team or played for a better coach. The reason the hawks played so good in the playoff last year was because they competed down low. This team doesn’t have any inside identity and will lose in the 1st round again if they don’t shape up and get the ball down low to Hortford more.
O'brien
April 5th, 2009
5:06 pm
Guys, I think the playoffs will determine a lot. If the Hawks lose all their road games in the playoffs, then I think Woody should go, even if the Hawks advance to the second round.
And the main reason why the Hawks win at home is not because of Woody. It’s because of the crowd, and the team plays uptempo more.
Woody deserves a lot of credit for taking the team to where they are now, from 13 wins to 43 and counting. However, I think Woody has taken the Hawks as far as he can take them. I think we need to give another coach an opportunity to pick up where Woody left off.
We need a head coach who:
1) has an offensive system 2) plays his bench
3) knows how to make in game adjustments
4) coaches to the team’s strengths.
Ken, you’re right. Woody has gone back to his old self, and I’m sure he’ll blame it on injuries.
GA Bulldawg
April 5th, 2009
7:02 pm
I have read most of the comments and agree with most of them. However, I’m sick and tired of the negative comments about Joe Johnson!! As several have already mentioned he is dead ass TIRED!!! Look, I’ve played a ton of minutes back in my day in high school basketball, AAU ball and intramural ball and it takes its toll on your body…and NO, i’m not going to compare amateur sports to professional sports, just trying to make a point here. If it causes wear and tear on your body in those sports, imagine the brutal beating your body takes when you’re playing against the stronger, bigger athletes of the NBA, while playing 42 MINUTES A NIGHT!!!!!! JJ is playing these minutes 4 out of every 5 games and is LEADING THE NBA IN MINUTES PLAYED and Woodson REFUSES to give him some rest this late in the season. He’s already rundown and worn out and if Woody continues to play him like this, he will be a non-factor come playoff time!
When was the last time Kobe or Lebron had to play 40-42 minutes EVERY GAME this season while having to guard the other team’s best player or shooting guard, handle the ball and create for their teammates on 70% of possessions, defend quick point guards (since Mike Bibby can’t defend) AND create his own shot???? It hurts to see Joe struggle, but the minutes and responsibilities are taking their toll on his body and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. If we can get a playmaker like Speedy (if Woody would let him play) to create for others and Joe, it makes Joe much more efficient and he probably won’t have to play so many minutes.
GA Bulldawg
April 5th, 2009
7:10 pm
Oh yeah and to all the people saying “Trade Joe”, screw all yall! I wanna warn you that if the Hawks trade him in his prime, I guarantee that we will be regretting it like the Phoenix Suns are now. I’m telling you that with a proven coach and a different offense with a Rondo, CP3, D Will or Steve Nash type of point guard he will be much more efficient!! He is too skilled for his talent to be wasted with Woodson as the coach. Phoenix has no other playmaker on that team besides Steve Nash…when Joe was on that team, he was the only one besides Steve Nash that could get his points without requiring Steve to create for him. I can’t tell you how many Suns fans regret trading him and would rather have him back than Shawn Marion
bigdave
April 5th, 2009
9:01 pm
Concur GA Bulldawg….
FINALLY MORE JOE JOHNSON SUPPORT… !!
thought i was by myself…