April’s Fools

I second the motion…

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If Sund is realistic, he could fire Woody whether this team wins a playoff series or not. I don’t think there would be many Hawks fans bemoaning such a terrible loss, you know?

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You can dream about firing Woodson all day long, but they’ll never do it. He’s one of the cheapest coaches in the NBA, he’s signed for another season, and the record gives them an excuse to keep him. Alas, it would be interesting to see what this team could do with someone who knows how to run a basketball team.

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I posted this in the last blog but it was before I found out about the new blog so i will post it here:

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.

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This same roster would be approaching 50 wins with an intelligent offensive system.

But for tonight there’s another team in town grabbing the spotlight. Go Braves!

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If it wasnt for the win against the Lakers (and the Lakers also lost a couple days later to Charlotte), the Hawks would be on a 6 game losing streak. They’ve lost 6 of 8, and their road record is horrible.

I wonder what Sund thinks of the job that Woody is doing? Is he happy and satisfied that the team will probably wrap up the 4th seed, or does he realize that Woody is not playing the guys he signed (except Flip and Evans), the team is struggling, and they seem very unprepared at the start of a lot of games. Or maybe Sund will blame it on injuries, and say Woody didnt have all his players.

In my opinion, even if the Hawks make it out of the first round, I still think Woody needs to go (although I know that probably wont happen).

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Woodson is always saying he needs to use the bench more, but refuses to play Speedy, Morris (rebounder), or Mario more minutes.

Good job idiot

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You can”t tell me that Morris or Solo can”t play at least 5 or 10 minutes.They are better than Zaza who can”t dunk. This guy was awful against Orlando. Mario has provided energy everytime he gets in the game,which is few and far between. Woody has not given none of these guys a role. I saw these guys play in the Cleveland blowout last week, and they out played Cleveland”S bench and made the game close. But where was WOODY? He had been ejected, so I guess he didnt see his bench.

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Good news. The 76ers are currently down 14 in the 3rd at the Nets.

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How does the Hawks recent play erase early success? You can’t erase early success.

That’s like saying the Bulls’ 1999 season futility erased their 1998 NBA championship

Secondly, what the heck does this mean: “I know, it was three straight to playoff bound teams playing at a much higher level than the you could.”???

It’s embarrassing that no one proofreads these blogs on one of the country’s largest-market newspapers.

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joe johnson is a ball hog. the trouble with our offence is that he dribbles way to much.watch other good teams, they pass the ball & get
easy shots. jj puts a cramp in our offence,when hi making shots it is less noticeable. he has been in a shooting slump all season. when he does pass the ball the clock has ran down. he is also a horrible defender.

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One more thing, when I look at what Woody’s done over the last few years,I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I don’t know of anyone off the top of my head that could have done better, and few that would have done as well, but as I’ve said before and will say again, he’s made some decisions that have really come back to bite this team in the backside.

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Shifting gears, there is potentially room under the bus for Sund as well as Woody. Sure he came to the game late last year, so it was easy to do little over the summer to change the team. He had to fill roster spots given the lack of draft choices. Flip/Mo were good pick ups. I cannot fairly evaluate RandMo, but it does not surprise me that he was near the end of the bench.

Now if Sund has been in Woody’s ear about the lack of development, that’s good. If not, shame on him. He needs to do 2 critical things this offseason. One–establish his style of team, so that the roster can reflect his goals. Two-make sure he has a coach that will implement the style of team he will create.

For all of the complaining about BK in the past, he seemed to have an idea that he wanted a lot of similar, interchangeable players that were long, lean, athletic and capable of playing/defending multiple positions. Woody seemed to not like that method and went his own way. I suspect that was a big part of the falling out between them. Woody’s two mottos seem to be all D, no O–and–32 A all the way (i.e. underdeveloped is good–why get more out of those bench guys)

Sund’s motto to this point, is wait and see. Well he has waited and seen. What will he do to make an impact?

Is he the classic Sundial. Just sitting and waiting for another’s actions to make you effective, or is he the 21st century NBA Sund-dial? Is he proactive? Does he work the phones to make something happen?

BWAF

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Oh, I never claimed to be accurate Manny T, just expressing a point of view. And I would never go so far as to say that everyone on the team needs to be specialized, but it does help when you have a few guys who know and understand the fact that their role on the team is to do one or two things (i.e. Dennis Rodman with the Bulls, JJ Redick with the Magic, PJ Brown with last year’s Celtic team.) There’s no substitute for having role players on your team that know and understand what they’re there to do. Otherwise, you’ve got 6′9 forwards TRYING to bring the ball up the floor and 6′11 backup centers TRYING to create off the dribble. In other words, ugly!

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Props to Najeh Davenpoop! Exactly what I’m talking about!

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as good as the hawks’ record indicate that they are, they are the exact same team as last year!! last year we won 12 road games, and this year, with 5 games left, we have won 14 road games.

i am imaginin’ that the same thing will happen in the playoffs this year, we will win the home games and get decimated on the road. however, if the opposin’ team wins one game hear at phillip’s we are doomed!!

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As I have said all year the Hawks will lose in the first round because they can’t shoot “free” throws and they don’t have a championship coach. Sorry Woody you’ve done ok I suppose but the talent of your team is far more than lets say Philly or Miami and yet they are all over you right now. Three points to ponder! Josh Smith has all the physical talent but is a complete basketball idiot!It’s like he needs basketball PHONICS! Woody is really a bench coan on a really good team. Finally, teams that can’t shoot free throws don’t win in the playoffs. Add all three together and you have a team that is out after the first round. AGAIN! Fire Woodson and trade smith for some inside scoring and defense! Blocking shots as your man is going by you is not playing defense Josh! Good luck Hawks???

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5 years in, we know the kind of coach Woody is, and we know the kind of offensive system (or lack thereof) he runs. If he comes back next year, I think it will be more of the same (unless Sund signs some established veterans). Imagine what happens to the Hawks’ 2 draft picks. Will they be developed? See any PT? I doubt it.

Again, all things considered, I think Woody has done a good job of bringing the Hawks to where they are. I just think we need another coach to take them to the next level.

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Great comments about defined roles, and who should be doing what.

There is very little evidence to suggest that Woodson knows how to put that together. As always, there is the idea that hardly anybody could do a better job than Woody has done. I don’t particularly agree with that, but then we have not had anybody different with this collection of players to either prove or disprove that theory. So, my opinion really doesn’t have a lot supporting it. Call it a hunch.

I recognize what he has done, however. Again, is this more about what he has done with these players, or about who got the collection of players together? Well, since the consensus tends to suggestion that Woodson isn’t going anywhere, the best one can do is hope that he improves in the aforementioned areas. I hope he does. If he doesn’t, then we can expect to see what we’ve seen this season at maximum….every year, assuming we have enough talent to get it done (and don’t suffer too many injuries in the process).

All I can say about that is while we all should enjoy a more successful season right NOW, struggling to keep the 4th seed year after year will become tiresome quickly. But hey, we’ve not gotten to that draw bridge yet, nor are we guaranteed to get to it.

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How do Woody get this long to have the chance????????? We fired Kruger and Stotts before they completed a season–Heck Woody’s been here what five now–I give him credit for getting this team to where they are now–someone else will have to get them over their next hump.

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Hawks’ next coach = former UGA mastermind “Dennis Felton”

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Bob Rathbun for Hawks coach!!!

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I agree that young players need defined roles. And I agree that at times, Woody has failed to do that for his younger players. I recall when Smith was a rookie, he literally didn;t play a posiiton. We had Al Harrington and Antoine Walker as our starting forwards. Smith became a “rover” type player… kind of like Mario is now. He just used his energy, athleticiam and shot-blocking skills to run around the floor. I remember thinking “this guy will never learn how to play a position if his job is to play free safety”. Solo could have a role. Acie could have a role. But Woody didn’t make that happen earlier in the season.

We may very well end up being Scott Skiles’ Bulls team. You may recall that they had a cute little 2-3 year run in the playoffs. They were usually lucky to get a favorable first round match-up before exiting the playoffs. But they were a flawed team, with too many guards and a coach who wore on his players. They never quite graduated from a playoff team to a contender.

I still think that this current “down side” is a result of Marvin’s absence, fatigued players and superior competition. Woody gets most of the blame for the fatigued players, but Sund needs to get some heat as well. I still don’t understand why we couldn’t cut Gardner and go after a big (like Adonal Foyle after he was cut) to help us in the home stretch. I’m pretty sure that it would have been close to cost-neutral. Oh well. I guess I’ll have to settle for a second consecutive playoff appearance after none in the previous 8-9 seasons. Life is tough.

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GeeMack, If Phil Jackson or Greg Poppovich were coaching this team, do you think we would be struggling like we are?

I agree that Woody does not have the caliber of bench players that some other teams do. As a result, he needs to make the most of the players he does have. Give them minutes, instill confidence, teach and develop. But he doesnt do that. Instead, he plays his 7 or 8 guys into the ground, and so be it.

Fortunately, in the playoffs its not such a big issue because you get days off in between games.

Ironically, Chills had a defined role, but I dont think he was happy with it.

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So long as you tell your readers about the brunch at Highland Bakery, I think it will help.

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RA, I don’t dispute your 11:54. I would state that the TRYING has more to do with freelancing than poorly defined roles.

Even in Astro Joe’s comments about the rookie Josh being a rover…isn’t that a specific role! You may not like the role he was assigned, but it is definitely a role with specific tasks.

Najeh, I would not say that Woody did not give out specific roles, but I would question what he does if a player seems to be working outside of his role in a way that hurts the team. Because Woody does not develop the bench, Josh gets away with a lot more when he moves away from his role. Woody takes it often instead of putting in another player. Now if Josh freelances while speaking his mind, he hits the bench (as in that Charlotte game.) Lesson to Josh, play how you want, but watch what you say.

As for roles that the better players have on better teams, I think that is largely a function of the coaching plan to get the most out of the team. I’ll skip the easy chance to bash Woody here, but call me the setup man for whichever closer takes him down.

Good coaching is a combination of using individual strengths in a way that allows for a greater contribution from the whole team. That’s true in sports and in business.

I think every half decent coach has roles for his players, but the definition of those roles may vary more than many folks expect. Mo Evans has taken some of the defensive stopper role that JJ used to have last season (along with many other roles.) Even though JJ is Woody’s best–he is overutilized. Now if you want to dispute the effectiveness of the roles Woody has chosen, that’s a different thing that I’ll leave alone.

That is different from a player that decides he sees an opening and chooses to push the ball up without using his teammates. There is always a subjective level of choice in how far a player is allowed to freelance. In baseball, some guys get to swing away at 3-0/3-1 counts while others do not. In basketball, some guys always have the green light to shoot (JJ, Bibby, Flip?) while others do not (Josh, Al).

I think there are some issues with the level of freelancing that some players get away with under Woody. AC Law has about as much of a green light as RandMo. So he often has to factor his personal WUF (Woody Undervaluation Factor) into his game which messes with his head and his performance. JJ has the green light to freelance from the time he gets to the arena. If they would score the points, Woody would let him shoot from off the court (just like in that All Star Weekend HORSE competition.)

BWAF

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Hi Everyone,

Don’t despair, naysayers, you have the non-existent low-post and perimeter defence of the Toronto Raptors to beat up on this Wednesday. We just made the Knicks look like an entire team of Ray Allens and Peja Stokavic’s. Missing the playoffs sucks — at least you guys can say that your squad rode a hot start into the playoffs, our squad was a huge disappointment and it pretty much came down to the strained hamstring of a starting PG. Woody, have your boys be easy on us for the first half so we can have something to cheer about at the game

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mike not much else to say, ditto. proud of your girl much? going to wake? impressive.

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For all of you guys banging on Mike Woodson you need to STOP!!! You may not like his style but all his style has done is create more victories each season he has held the post. And all of you screaming the Hawks will not win with Woodson, who the hell you gonna get? Who the hell HAS WON in Atlanta? Please after reading 56 comments NOBODY that doggs Woodson has one solid point. Yes he says he needs to use the bench, that’s coach speak fellas, THERE IS NO BENCH TO USE!!! Mario West is a nice story (nice stories belong in the NCAA tournament), hustler, scrapy defender and that’s about it. IF he wanted more minutes he should hit his garbage time free throws when he get them but no mistake I would have him as a 12th man also. Acie Law is a “BUST” enough said and I was one who dranked the kool aid that he was going to be decent. Randolph Morris, please what are you expecting out of that? Othello Hunter spent a couple of weeks in the D-League with Anaheim, during that stint he showed he’s got nothing to offer either. Speedy…Speedy Claxton needs to play? is that what I’m reading? That would be the biggest mistake since signing him, he can’t stay healthy ever and is stealing more money that Alan Henderson. Solomon Jones…I dranked that Kool Aid also and man when he got the minutes he showed why he shouldn’t have had the minutes. SO I ask again WHAT BENCH (minus Mo Evans,Flip Murray and dare I say ZaZa when Marvin is in the lineup). That’s it the Hawks have a 2nd Round Playoff team (they can’t beat anybody in 7 games ahead of them but can beat EVERYBODY in 7 games below them) with EIGHT PLAYERS!!! Now Sund and the front office need to bang out the paperwork and get the checks written for those that need to stay and find solid vets and a solid bigman that hold the paint down “just enough” until they can make the blockbuster deal. Now to those of you banging on Mike Bibby, hell he’s the reason Atlanta was able to make the run last season, hell he may not be the best point guard in the league but he damn sure isn’t the reason the Hawks slip from time time. The HAWKS are exactly where they are suppose to be, in teh 4th spot with plenty of room to improve and please excuse Mike Woodson if he preaches defense, yet there is a true concern about a lack of ficus from his team and that is ture but there is ONLY SO MUCH a coach can control and after that it’s out of his hands. Is Woodson the best coach on earth…no is he the best coach for the Hawks…YES. Does Joe Johnson play too many minutes…YES…is that a problem…YES but if that’s what it take for the Hawks to win then so be it, if Joe gets a night off and the HAwks lose you’re going to here “Why didn’t Joe Johnson play”…geez I see why Atlanta and Hawks fans get ripped so on the national landscape. Hawks will bow out in 2nd Round in 5 or 6 games which will be PAR as long as they don’t bogey by not getting out of the 1st riund you would have to consider that a success.

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Mike Woodson is not an NBA -calibre coach. Keep the players; get a good coach!!!!!!!!

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And oh yeah, Fire Woody!

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Najeh, true but we’re talking less than $300k. Gardner makes around $735k so they eat less than half-a-season’s contract and pay comparably another $300k for Foyle (as an example). No, it’s not perfectly neutral but it seems like relative chump change.

I was thinking that we will know when the Hawks have “arrived” when we are able to secure the services of a late-season buy-out. I can’t wait for the day when I hear someone like McDyess or Joe Smith say “I want to play for the Hawks”. Maybe it will come next year, when the Grizzlies cut Darko loose.

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This is how JJ can play 48 minutes every game.

- He can rest on defense when Acie will chase around the fast point guards.
- He will stop pounding the ball and dribble it up, and let Acie set him up for set shots. His FG% will go through the roof.

I bet his PPG will go up, and Woody can send him to the next All Star Game.

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And Ga bulldog, JJ is the one who is always praising Woody. He once said that Woody is the best coach he’s ever had. So when you say that he’s waisting his talents playing for Woody, he clearly thinks the opposite.

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Doc, preciated bro.

Joel, ditto for Acie and the Hawks bench. What minutes are you basing your comments on. How hard is it to play your bench when your starters are out of gas and the game is out of reach? And don’t slight Mario, the NBA is full of feel good story.

Yeah, I guess its okay to slam bench, and give the coach a pass. THEY ARE IN EASY TARGET!!!!!!

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Said it before and will say it again. Hawks finish 5-10 games over .500, advance to the second round of the playoffs, and Woody ain’t going nowhere. He will at least finish up his contract.

Woody is not the best coach around or COY by any means, but I don’t think all the blame should be on him. The players share blame for not defending the way we know they can, they get blamed for not playing with enough energy, they get blamed for missing free throws, and Sund has some blame as well. Why bring in guys like Gardner, Hunter, Randolph Morris when you know you won’t force the coach to play them? We all know Woody only trusts his vets!

I can understand why some fans are disappointed with Hawks losses. Hawks should have won 50 games this year and held on easily to the 4th spot, but no! Typical Hawks makes it harder for themselves. We know they gave away games they should have won, but look on the positive. As flawed as this team is, they still have a chance to finish the season up double digits in wins. They have a chance to improve ten games over last year, so Hawks might have sucked lately, they’ve still had a good season. Fan expectations should be tempered with harsh, cold reality. Hawks have improved, but they still have ways to go, player upgrade, maybe even a new head coach. Look on the positive, fans, and don’t dwell so much on the negatives.

Hawks need Marvin and Acie back really bad. I believe if they put their minds to it, Hawks can win all last six games. After facing against the best in the league, I can’t see why they should be scared of Toronto, Memphis and such. I would be disappointed if they did what they did last year, back into the playoffs only because teams chasing them for the 8th spot could not win ball games. You want the 4th spot, Hawks? Then take it. It’s yours to lose or take. Philly ain’t gonna give it to you.

Go Hawks, Go!

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If Sund signed our bench players, and said Woody has no excuse not to play his bench this year, then what does thay say about Woody’s stubborness, because thats exactly what he has done. Not played his bench.

Steve, I think the main drawback to the Hawks not getting a good coach to replace Woody is because they dont want to pay all that money for a different coach, and still have to pay Woody. And thats why I wont be surprised if Woody comes back next year.

As much as I think we need a new coach, the fact is the Hawks will be the 4th seed, and they’ll probably find a way to win their first round series, plus Woody’s contract is very cost effective. And the Hawks have won more games every year since he’s been here (13, 26, 30, 37, 43 and counting). Therefore, it’s easy to justify Woody coming back for another year.

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Having all the players healthy would not make the Hawks have an offensive system. They don’t have one. He tells Bibby, “stand around and if you have a chance, shoot it”. “Joe, let’s isolate and see if you can score every time down the floor.”, “Yes, I know that I have no idea how to have the other players in the correct position on the floor”.

Having all the players healthy would not allow the bench to be utilized (see our well documented history).

Having all the players healthy would not allow Woody to coach to our players strenght which is running (see our well documented history)

Having all the players healthy would not erase that “mentally bankrupt” look that is on Woody’s face during each game.

Having all the players healthy would not erase all the 3rd quarters where the opposing coach made half time adjustments (see our well documented history in the 3rd quarter).

Woody sucks, he has lived off of “improving records” longer than any coach in NBA history. The Hawks have won in spite of Woody.

He is a not an good NBA coach. If management keeps him, then it is clear that they are not trying to build a championship team.

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tb, that is still about 5 mpg more than it should be.

folks, take a look on yahoo at how teams divide play time. does one think denver is more talented or melo or billips lesser players than our guys.melo and billips avg 35 mpg, there are 9 guys avg 22 mpg on that squad and 1 at 18. our guys it is 7 guys at 22 or more, zaza about 20 and 2 getting about ten. i dont look at their roster and see players that are better from top to bottom but somehow they go through a major change in guards, send a very capable center we would love to have to another team without a return and melo being injured and play at altitude to boot and somehow play 12 guys for more than 10 mpg and are 2 games into the elite 50 win level at the top of their division. what is the difference, the gm?

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Blast, do you honestly believe that “the hawks can win their last 6 games?” Please. Do you mean like they could’ve won that game against Orlando? We know they CAN, but we also know they probably WONT. It should be interesting to say the least, but I’m not expecting a 5 or 6 game winning streak or anything crazy like that. And btw, the Hawks are just like women. Cant live with em, cant live without em. lol!!

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Bibby would not be seen as such a liability if Woody did a good job of game management. In games where Bibby was struggling (offensively or defensively), especially if we’re playing a quick PG, Woody should have played Acie more. And maybe if we didnt switch every single time, we wouldnt be forced into so many mismatches. I remember one of the earlier Boston games, where Bibby ended up guarding Pierce after the switch, and time after time, Pierce made the jumper over Bibby. I’m not a coach, but that’s my opinion.

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Terrell B. About the Hawks winning all remaining games, knowing them, I don’t believe it will happen, but I said “if they put their minds to it” if they want to, they can do it. But then it’s Hawks we’re talking about here!

In truth, I don’t care if they win all the next games so long as they keep the 4th. It will be tragic after holding that spot almost all year to lose it at the end of the season. That’s why I feel now is when the Hawks must show their mettle. I’m very interested in seeing how they close out the season. They’ve been beaten up like dogs, like your bad stepchild by the best in the league this last week. Me, I would be looking to remove that bad taste from my mouth by beating up on these lesser teams coming up. That’s all I’m saying.

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I think the game in Toronto will be big. If the Hawks can win that game, then they will be able to carry that momentum to Milwaukee.

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Jfreak, I never said that my way was the only way to look at things, and God knows it’s probably not the best, but Mike Woodson, or Woody, whatever you want to call him, he’s taken this team, my team, from no talent, no direction, no hope, to being a team that went to the playoffs last year and is headed back this years. Now, has he made mistakes, sure, big ones, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that, on the hole, what he’s done is nothing short of extraordinary, but that’s just my point of view.

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Najeh…lol..

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Lawson is going to get eaten alive in the NBA. He’s not a shooter, the only thing he does is drive to the hoop. J-Smoove, Dwight Howard,Al Horford, Marvin, Solo……these guys will eat his lunch. His Layups bare;y make it over his unathletic NCAA peers…..No chache against the Big boy high-flyers in the NBA.

CP3 was an exellent 3pt shooter at Wake. Lawson has short arms. He won’t have a chance to get his shot up before it’s sent back into his stubby little arms. I’m just bein’ real here…. Patrick Mills, Johnny Flynn, Stephen Curry, A.J Slaughter(WKU), Maynor…..those are the guards that can do real damage on the NBA hardwood.

Lawson tried coming out last year and the Scouts saw the very thing that I am stating to you now. He went back b/c he was afraid of being undrafted. Even if he wins a title tonight, he’s still a mid to late second round pick….

He’s not that fast. The freshman(MSU) Lucious comes off the bench and Ty can’t get anywhere after that.

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RA, Woody gets some credit, but I dont think he deserves as much credit as you’re giving him. When we won 13, 26, 30 games, that was somewhat expected and understood, and could even be justified. But considering the improvements that Marvin, Josh and Chills made (from being in the league, becoming better players etc), and JJ stepping up, that was a big part of the reason for the improvement to 37 games.

Last year, there were games the Hawks blew, (especially coming out after halftime) where I felt like another coach would have been able to make adjustments. There were games that came down to the last shot, and everybody knew what Woody was going to do. Iso Joe. Better coaches would have designed better plays. And the Hawks backed into the playoffs last year (they went 2-4 in their last six). Fortunately, the other teams behind us lost enough games that allowed us to keep the 8th spot.

I guess all Im saying is as good a job as Woody might have done, I think a better coach would have led to more wins, because Woody has no offensive system, does not utilize his bench, and does not know how to make in game adjustments until it’s too late.

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I think Maynor and Jennings are head and shoulders ahead of the other point guards in this draft, but I definitely think Lawson and Flynn can be contributors on good teams, even if they don’t become stars. I feel the same way about Stephen Curry that Ariose feels about Lawson — I see him in the Euroleague in 3 years, real talk.

Then again, I had no idea CP3 would be anywhere near as good as he is as a scorer. I had confidence in his quickness, passing ability, and defense, but I had no clue he would get shots as easily as he does. So who knows, maybe Lawson, Flynn and Curry have what it takes to be great.

But as I’ve said before, I don’t think the Hawks need to draft a point guard. Get the best player available and play Acie more. Right now NBADraft.net has the Hawks taking Flynn with DeJuan Blair getting drafted right after him. I would LOVE to see Blair in a Hawks uniform if the Hawks are picking in the low 20s.

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Danny Green? Robert Dozier? Tyrese Rice?…..I like Dozier

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Enter your comments here

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Preston: Hahaha…I was thinking the same thing when I saw the picture!!! JJ’s expression…just priceless lol

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Cuz,

Don’t really understand all the fuss. We played 6 out of our last 8 against teams who are better than us. We lost 6 of 8.

Now we have our last 5 against teams we should beat. We lose the 2 game lead with 5 games left, then we have a problem.

Woody=COY

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Encouraging news that Marvin is travelling with the team the next two days. I’d imagine that his back is well enough that it won’t lock up on him while sitting in the airplane. I don;t recall seeing him on the bench during the past few games.

Shawn Marion doesn’t pose much of an offensive threat tonight. Jefferson potentially could have a big niht against Evans tomorrow, however.

If nothing else, Sund needs to address the bench next year. Assuming that we re-sign Marvin, we need a viable back-up in the event this back problem returns. Evans is much too small to deal with starting SFs. Someone like Devean George may be a cheap option to consider for the bench.

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SG = of course joe

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Yeah by now it’s obvious that Josh Smith needs to come off the bench, kinda like Lamar Odom did before Andrew Bynum was injured. Al Horford is a TRUE power forward not Smoove, who was drafted as a 3. He should be Horford’s backup. After 5 seasons, he STILL lacks a consistent jumpshot and handles so he can’t be a SF. It will be tough but with his energy and athleticism he could come in as an instant game changer, kinda like Flip. To solve our lack of bench production, he can make our bench better and will add to the depth. Like I said, we can’t get rid of him because his contract is basically untradeable…so we might as well bring him off the ben

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funny, i was thinking vitriol as well when i came to this blog for a different reason. same word, uncanny.

dont go mentioning karl now as a coy or your cuz is liable to go off on you sekou. heh heh

didnt you hear, they imploded and we had the coach to bring us down the stretch just at the right time. guess we got to wait a little longer for woody as he plays possum with the rest of the league.

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So, if Denver’s moving of Camby and AI – in one year – can be termed ’subtle tweaking’, what’s Atlanta’s equivalent Sekou?

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Josh Smith is not as big a problem as some of you think he is, and although he’s been in the league 5 years, I still think he has untapped potential. That being said, if we could trade him for a starter (PG or center), and another piece, then I’m all for it, as long as it makes the Hawks a better team. The problem is finding a trade partner.

Samuel, we lost to teams better than us, I agree. But these teams were missing arguably their best player (Spurs-Duncan, Celtics-KG), and they beat us in our house. What bothers me the most is the way we’ve lost those games. Doing the same thing over and over (even if it’s not working), inability to make adjustemts etc., and it’s a recurring theme with these Hawks.

Sekou, so who would be resposnible for doing this subtle tweak? Sund, or Woody? Or both? (For the record, I dont see Woody doing anything different).

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Here’s a subtle tweak for you. To assist the Hornets with their need to dump salary, while allowing us to get a legitimate post player in here at a reasonable cost, send them Speedy, RMorris, and the rights to Childress for Tyson Chandler. Hornets move Childress’ rights to another side for future draft considerations (and thereby get an immediate ~$5M salary write down), and both Speedy and RMo come off the books after next season. Chandler at the 5 allows Sund a real opportunity to test Horford at 4 and either Marvin or Smoove at the 3 scenarios before making a long-term decision about SF direction. The net near-term cost is ~$5 million increase in Hawks 2009/2010 payroll. After this move, but prior to re-signing Marvin, Sund starts building next year’s squad with the following players under contract for about `$45 million: JJ, Smoove, Horford, Chandler, Acie, and Mo Evans. He’ll also have an automatic financial commitment to the player taken at #19 (~$1 M). This leaves significant room for all sorts of chess games, not the least of which is consideration of the possibility the JJ will walk after next season (did you see the rumor about LeBron possibly urging the Cavs to strongly consider pursuing JJ in ‘10 to pair with him for multiple championship runs in Cleveland?).

Just a thought.

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doc, I knew that someone else would point out that Woody isn’t Karl so a subtle change for Karl would require closer to a major overhaul for Woody.

But I have argued for the past several months that I wouldn’t break up this nucleus (yet). I’d bring in a Hinrich type along with a Rasho type and give them until the All-Star break to show and prove. After that, I’d look to make some changes… starting with the HC and extending to the players. But other than replacing Bibby, the changes I would make this summer would not likely affect the core of the team.

One more quick thing. Was Sund the GM during the days when Don Casey was the hot-shot assistant with the Sonics? I’ve been trying to think of potential coaching candidates based on Sund’s background. I came up with Bob Hill and Avery Johnson (Sund talks more about his Dallas days then he does his Seattle tenure). At one point, Rolando Blackmon was an assistant coach, did Derek Harper ever do the same?

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Pointing fingers at certain players is not the answer to our problems. We have only 4 players(Flip, JJ, Acie and Bibby)that can effectively create their own shot. It’s understandable, at least to me, why Smoove gets so frustrated and takes it upon himself to go one on one, like Bibby, JJ and Flip are allowed to do. Acie is the only PG that can penetrate, breakdown a DEF and get easy shots for his teammates. Bibby is one dimensional and doesn’t create easy scoring opportunities for his teammates. Flip can penetrate and breakdown a
DEF, but he doesn’t create easy scoring opportunities for his teammates, just himself. Woodson’s OFF is also one dimensional and is designed to create scoring opportunities for players with excellent ballhandling and one on one skills.

Consider the following. You’re a starter, your team is struggling, you see your guards going playground with the OFF and freezing everyone else out, and you see your HC standing on the sidelines with arms folded doing nothing to correct the problem. WHAT IN THE DEVIL WOULD YOU DO?

These are the same players that contributed to the several dominate winning streaks we’ve had this yr. The difference in their performances and the teams success has been based on how much freedom they’re given by Woodson. When the bench is utilized, the rotation extended and they’re allowed to play uptempo, our DEF amazingly becomes almost dominant. Under these circumstances, both Horford and Smoove’s production increases, especially their OFF production.

WHEN THE TEAM GETS BOGGED DOWN ON OFF, JOSH TRIES TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN BY GOING TO WHAT HE KNOWS WORKS FOR THIS TEAM. SO, HE ATTACKS THE BASKET INSTEAD OF SHOOTING 3′S, TRY’S TO CHANGE THE TEMPO BY PLAYING PG AND FORCING A FASTBREAK BY PUSHING THE BALL UP THE COURT AND CHALLENGING THE OPPOSITIONS TRANSITION DEF. If all you’re going to do as a PG is end up shooting jumpshots, like Bibby, there’s no need to push the ball and go uptempo. If Acie trys to push the ball, which is his strength, he gets benched, openly berated and then ignored.

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our offense is one dimensional,iso joe

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Doc,

The difference between me and some people here is that I can give credit where it’s due. Yes, Karl has redeemed himself and if they finish in the #2 spot, he deserves consideration. But so does a coach who takes his team from a #8 spot to the #4 position. Especially if they win a first round playoff series.

You guys keep harping on getting a new coach but I still say that no coach out there can take a team with 1 borderling star past teams with Hall of Fame type players. All three of those teams are capable of winning it all. Boston, even without KG, can still win a ring. Cleveland quite possibly may have the MVP and Orlando has the most dominate big man in the game today. We don’t and no coaching is gonna change that.

I really do like Josh and would hate to give him up but we may have to in order to tweak this roster. He cannot play the 3 consistantly on offense period. Any body who believes otherwise is kidding themselves. If we move Al to 4 Josh wouldn’t have a position.

Id take Rasheed or McDyce.

I wouldn’t have a problem letting Bibby go as long as we bring in someone else. Acie is not the answer IMO. Ellis wants out and is a Southern boy.

I think we will have a lot of options this summer. Practically our whole team is at the end of their contracts. Somethng like 28 mil in salaries.

Woody=COY

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Josh is liability when the ball is in his hands, he cannot dribble, and his jumpshot is weak as hell… what I can’t understand is WHY DOES HE KEEP TAKING JUMPSHOTS!!! I’m not one to say we need a new coach, but DAMN… we need something new and something different. The truth is that the Hawks better pray that Miami wins the 5th spot, because I dont see us beat Philly in a 7-game series.

I’m tired of seeing our “big men” take jumpshots! And I’m tired of seeing lack of intensity on the floor. When we’re on offense no one makes an effort to attack the offensive boards, it’s like as soon as JJ shoots everybody runs the other way like they know the shot will drop. I know that I’m not the only one that has noticed that…

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ive said in a previous post that our team has no direction or identity and is poorly managed… i think i said something like we have a bunch of “jack of all trades” and no “masters of one”. i gave the example of our bigs allowed to bring the ball up the floor freely ignoring a guard.. instead of giving the ball up and using your athleticism/speed/youth to sprint up the floor. or the idea that everyone on our team either feels like or is allowed to shoot regardless of range. play like this, that we see every night, gets u pulled or “coached up” on most good pro team and all college teams.

i just think its time for a new coach and philosophy… i mean for a coach that is supposed to be so defensive minded how can he be so content with allowing opposing guards to routinely enter the teeth of our defense…?

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If Claxton is ready to play, why don’t Woody use him since he is on the payroll and we really have gotten little bang for bucks? Can he give us anything or not?

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Sekou, you should be ashamed of yourself for fanning this non-sense with your article (you of all people know how good these teams they have played lately are). What is up with this negative fire Woody obsession with the Atlanta fan base?…seriously?…You all are Atlanta Hawks fans and this team and organization has sucked for years…c’mon?…For 10-15 years or so you all have been the LA Clippers of the east!…And play the bench…WHAT FREAKIN BENCH????…he does play the ONLY people who can. I remember the same arguments about playing Sheldon and Salim Stoudamire were being made a year or two ago …where are they today and if they are so good (Salim is out of the league and Sheldon was just been traded for Calvin Booth…hold on, I can’t stop laughing…give me a minute…smile).
Sekou you should be ashamed because at least I know you know better!!!…

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Oh, and another thing Woody turned this this circus of an orgainzation into one of the respectable and talked about teams in the league. When they finally got into the playoffs a year ago they gave this town an incredible 7 game serious against the eventual NBA World Champion Celtics (You all do remember that series right?…or did I dream it?). What other coach in freakin NBA HISTORY could have gotten the 37-42 Hawks to a game 7 finals against the eventual NBA World Champs…that’s right NOBODY!!!!….

So how did the front office reward coach Woodson, well they had no draft picks this year (period!!!) to help him…they lost Chill to Greece, they did not add a much, much needed quality “Big Man” like (and I can’t believe I am going to say this) Kwame Brown or even Joe Smith or someone like that. They did add Mo (but they could of had Roger Mason Jr.) and Flip and thank God they did (although I don’t believe any of us thought Flip was going to be as good as he has been, right?).

I remember hearing Michael Jordan last year saying he wished Charlotte was making the advancements in the league like Atlanta has. He sounded like he wanted to model what was happening hear. Come on Sekou let’s cheer and support our guys and coaches instead of ripping them apart. If Woody wins 45 games or so and the 1st round of the playoffs we should throw him a ticker tape parade instead ripping him to shreads!!!…Go Hawks…I really like them and the way they carry themselves (by the way, wasn’t Cleveland down 43 Saturday against the Magic after losing to the Wizards on Friday…I wonder if the local reports and bloggers ripped the Cavs in Cleveland the next day). Just stop it Sekou…be cool…you’re starting to sound like your buddy Jeff Schultz, seriously nd that is NOT good!!!

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Now you know!! Yes we do….. that the Hawks can NOT win on the road.
Bye Bye Woodson after this season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Hey guys, same story for me. I see the same things I thought.

1) Hawks coming back down to earth
2) Us getting beat by a team and me thinking to myself (How in the h3ll is their record so suckish and ours is so good?)

I mean seriously….Toronto actually has a “2nd Unit”….we dont.
a guy like Kapono..Bish…Barnyani (?)….and I must say again…a 2nd Unit who is murdering our 1st uniit

Guys driving to the hole doing layups like its practice……
Scrubs from the opposing teams bench bullying us on the inside (Scrubs…on a scrub team that is)

I see this all the time….nets, pacers, raptors, etc. …lots of teams do this to us..

it really makes me wonder why we have as good a record as we do.

oh…and I forgot to mention Josh Smith losing control trying to cross people up..and bricking jump shots

same ol same ol story….

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SNOWMAN is 100% Right.

Did you guys see that wonderful game Woodson coached against the Spurs?
Have you guys saw the times Woodson has called timeouts killing his OWN TEAM’S momentum?
Have you guys saw woodson’s dynamic offensive playbook? 95% which consist of “ISO to JOE”
Woodson is such an inspirational coach, that his team continues to make the same mistakes and lack of effort on the defensive end (easy layups)
Woodson is such a marvel of a coach that he knows 100% how to use the athleticism of his team, which is why instead of seeing more “run and gun” play with Acie, Horford, Marvin, Josh Smith, Flip. Mo, Joe…..You see Josh Smith playing into his own weakness almost EVERY night… (trying to cross people over and taking jump shots) in a half court offense.

Mike Woodson is most certainly the coach who lead the Hawks to the promised land!!

…..well if that promise land is called hell.

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Josh Smith for 3….

BULL $H!T BY DESIGN!!!

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#21=Top50, I have watching the game on league pass as well. They have been dogging Josh the whole 3rd quarter. Even when he makes a good play they find something negative to say about him…

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Raps announcers just said the Raps are attacking Bibby. No matter who he’s guarding…lol… They just made a comment about Josh as he drain another 3ptr…Too Funny…

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josh for three again, durn that is going to pizz some folks off. hatas. they hate it hen he does good and hate it when he does bad. heh heh it seemed like it was a set up that bibby passed it to him to do. yup always just about josh being josh, no concept of team play.

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Doc,
You forgot: JOSH FOR MVP

RISE UP

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THIS FOOL JUST REFUSES TO LEAVE ACIE OUT THERE…!!!

WHY NOT BRING IN JOE FOR MO INSTEAD…?

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Flip vs Douby in the 4th… Who will prevail….

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my man with the turban has been at the Raptors game since they got there…

and i think its the same cat from the “Welcome to Atlanta” music video…

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Seriously…we can’t lose this game though

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I’m certainly about to trade for Douby on Live ‘09

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Smooooov. And cue the hating……

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These Raps announcers are going to have a heart attack if Josh hits another 3ptr…..lol

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They are riding Josh now b/c he committed a foul… this is crazy..

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Stafford hates the Hawks…

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No bet Ray, he put Bibby back in the game….lol

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Good Nite sweetheart…

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i would bring in West and Law… Solo too… they need game time…

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josh player of the game. woody coach of the game.

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now u know thats cheating…

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Yes Bigdave. Badd call…

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Yes sir, Good win by the Hawks… And the RAPS announcers are stun…lol.. On to Milwaukee..

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Road wins are like GOLD!

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GLAD WE HAD A PROBLEM CALLED JOSH ON OUR SIDE TONIGHT!

still growing folks, still growing, just get the frig out of his way.

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Philly lost. Miami down 4 in the fourth.

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Good balance attack for the Hawks tonite…7 players scored in double figures, 24 assists and only 7 turnovers…

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Just saying….

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@ Big Ray……

Who would you rather have coaching the Hawks?

Woody
or
‘Nique

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Now, I am not an advocate for Josh jacking up jumpers. He is way better taking it to the hole. But let’s analyze a few things.

Why does Josh keep jacking up jumpers? Why does he keep shooting the three ball when he shoots such a low percentage?

Maybe he makes those shots during practice and he feels he can knock them down. Same with free throws. Make em in practice but can’t make em in games because you are not focusing. And you have to wonder. Why do the guards keep passing the ball to Josh at the end of the clock, and when he is hanging out at the perimeter? Which bodes another question. Why does Josh hang out at the perimeter so much? He was effective there tonight, but expecting that from him nightly is fool’s gold.

Maybe the guards expect him to make that shot because they’ve seen him do it in practice. If that is true, the question then revolves all the way back to Josh then. He’s got mad skills. Mad hops. People have said he has zero basketball IQ, but I think that’s kind of harsh. I think he just has to work on his mental concentration, his focus, know when to go fast, hard, and know when to slow down. Know when to give the ball up on the break cos you gonna get it back at the rim. Work on his handle and post moves off season.

It’s pretty simple. If Josh eliminates his turnovers, he would have nothing but love on this blog, and believe me. If we don’t appreciate him, the ASG sure does. I believe Josh has what it takes to be a special player in this league. I didn’t say dominant, but special, because he has unique skills.

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Heat lost. Hawks should be a lock for the 4th spot now….

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I didn’t see the game, but from looking at the box score, and reading the comments, I’ll add a few of my own.

Good game by Bibby, 13 points and 10 assists. The bad thing is Calderon had 16 points, 13 assists. And I was surprised to see Josh played 47 minutes. I hope he can find the energy tomorrow.

JJ’s shooting percentage has been low the last few games. I hope he is able to regain his shooting stroke for the playoffs.

Miami lost, and Philly lost, so hopefully the Hawks can wrap up the 4th seed soon, so they can start resting some guys.

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I don’t mind Josh shooting jumpshots as long and they are in the flow of the offense ..
I do mind him settling for jumpshots instead of taking them in rhythm (Dominique)..
Going inside should always be his first option, but the only way he will become a better jumpshooter is if he shoots.

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ignition, josh ranks way down there in terms of taking shots from the outside in the flow of things this year behind jj, flip and bibby. seems like those guys tend to force it a bit much from time to time more so than josh. mo and marvin seem to be best in doing it in timely or “flow” situations than the three guards who keep pumping even when they are not showing any success at all.

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The magic number to clinch the 4th seed is now 2.

It is interesting that the Hawks are only a game and a half behind Orlando based on home court records only. The Hawks are 29-10 while Orlando is 30-8. The big difference between the two teams is the road record. The Hawks are 15-24 while the Magic are 27-11. I have been advocating that we enjoy this season and not get wrapped up in looking ahead to next season. But winning on the road is really hard for the Hawks as well as all of the other other non-elite teams in the East who will be in the playoffs. I think the key is concentration. Concentration takes maturity. Unless the Hawks are able to make a blockbuster trade or surprise us with a top FA the only way to improvement is to learn on the road. Since I do not think the ASG is capable of financing either of those options then learning to win on the road based on a maturity level that takes time is the only way this team can really become competitive in the next few years.

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Miami and Philly both lost. I didn’t see the game so I don’t know how well the Hawks played, but tonight went a long way towards locking up that crucial #4 seed for the Hawks. Great to see 7 players in double figures — that tells me the ball was moving and the front court was involved, which is how the offense needs to be on a daily basis. Granted it was against one of the worst defensive teams in the league, but hey, you gotta start somewhere.

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Ya think Bibby would sign for 7 mill a year? Him and Marvin should be paid about the same. We can blame Josh higher pay on a better market. I would hope JJ would sign for the same money. We need cash for a big.

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Ray, the HAWKS!!!!…the Hawks!!!…The Hawks????…what in the world have they won before Woody arrived?…and a two year extension is not a reward, it’s actually embarrassing. He earned it…by the way, the guy who left (Knight) deserves allot of credit as well for Bibby, Joe, Marvin, Josh and Al however he made some HUGE and unforgiveable mistakes as well (Sheldon, Marvin vs. CP3 or Deron, Speedy, Acie, Salim, and I can go on and on). Woody has coached ‘em up as they say. it’s not just Woody, it’s the entire coaching staff (Bender, Drew, JT, Ty Hill, etc.). They ONLY get better and better every year. It’s a process. Players play, Coaches coach and the front office gets Woody some freakin players. If we had a bench like the teams in front of us the sky would be the limit. By th way, except for Josh he has not lost these players and they still play hard for him.

Big Ray I get you and your little buddies are confused however Sekou you don’t have an excuse or do you?…Good win for the Hawks on the road tonight and I’ll be rooting for them tomorrow night against Milwaukee…while you all keep coach hatin….

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Last time I checked, Claxton alredy had a championchip Ring and played a significant role in earning it……

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Thanks Big Ray and Doc,
Yeah haters…You no what is it…Tha no what it is… You no what is it…Tha
no what it is…Josh will continue to shove crow in the mouth of his detractors.
 

GO JOSH AND GO
HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Where all the JOSH haters now, seems like yall always quiet, even though, he’s been the best hawks player the last couple of games. JJ is starting to suck it up alot lately, he acting like bibby, just shoot cause u the star. Yea Josh had 7 rebs, not like toronto has 6′8 power fowards. bosh had 10 broads. Josh makes mistakes just like everyone else on the team, JJ throws the ball or loses it just as much most nites and he’s the star. Josh gives u energy more than JJ (unless his shot is falling). Good game HAWKS, better game by the Hawks bigs though, still fire woody right after the playoffs over with and get a new pg for alot cheaper.

GO HAWKS

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Once again, for all of the Woody haters (who far out-number the Joe haters, Josh haters and Gardner haters), Woody’s TEAM has maintained the 4th seed for at least 3 months now. The hype around the 76ers has died down after they proved that they too have weeds, brown spots and crab grass all over their lawn. And the same is true of the Heat. With perfect health and perfect coaching the Hawks could have surely won more games…. but name a team that could not benefit from perfect coaching and perfect health.

You guys should REALLY try very, very hard to enjoy this ride. I mean, when was the last time we saw a Hawks team in a position to lose the 4th seed (as opposed to trying to over-take it in the last few games of the season)? This is a freakin’ treat…. why not enjoy it?

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For all the whiners and haters out there, it’s official. Tonight’s starting lineup:

Acie Law
Flip Murray
Marvin Williams(hurt back & all)
R Morris
Solo Jones

Head Coach – Mark Price

Enjoy the game guys!

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Big Ray, yes I have been watching them from Washington D.C. for the last 6 years. I like the Hawks and I like what coach has done and is doing with them. So yes, guilty as charged…I am a Hawk and Mike Woodson fan. He has been steady and their record has been improving year to year. they represent the city of Atlanta with Class and Style (with pro athletes in trouble from time t time the Hawks have been scandal free over these 5 years…with young players at that).

They remind me of the Pistons of several years ago except the Pistons bench was incredible (and of course that is where coach came from)…Okur, Corliss Williamson, Elden Campbell, Mike James and Lindsey Hunter!!! This starting team, when healthy, is long and athletic like those guys were however our bench is NOT CLOSE and one of the worst in the league in my opinion. As a result coach has had to rely on the tight rotation that he has. By the way, the acquisition of Rasheed Wallace put that Piston team over the top. The point there is our front office has NOT made moves like that at the deadline or any other time, do you agree?…

To another point, Billy tried to fire Woody for the same reason Grunfeld fired Eddie Jordan here in D.C. to keep folks off of his back and to buy him more time. Mike was very loyal to Billy and it appears that Billy threw Mike under the bus and the owners chose Mike. Although coach and GM discuss the draft all the time it is ultimately the GM’s decision. As I remember we were forward heavy back then when Marvin was drafted (Harrington, Chill and Josh) and what we really needed was a point guard or center.

Finally, the two picks Sund made were solid but there was no buzz about either and in fact, if Flip was so good why had he been on 5 different teams over 5 different seasons?…I would have wanted us to sign Roger Mason Jr. and Kwame Brown (crazy I keep saying that…smile) but I am so, so glad we have Flip. However we needed and need another BIG to help Horford and company.

One more point I LOVE JOSH’S TALENT!!!!!….Period…however I wish Josh had gone to college a year or would be open to listening. he makes the same mistakes an plays the same why year after year…month after month…if he would just follow the coaches orders…look Allen Iverson has been my favorite player over the last 13 years and just think how MUCH better he would have been if he listened to any of his coaches (except John Thompson). Pound for pound the most talented little guy out there however he too is UNCOACHABLE…I just don’t want Josh to become that guy.

So this is not a coaching thing…this is a organizational thing…love the Hawks, love Woody and love Josh…less hate and more positive Karma as we enter these Playoffs as a 4th seed and home court advantage!!!!…Appreciate what is happening here in Atlanta and let’s put more pressure on the front office to get coach more help next year…Ray you seem like you get it unlike “Snowman is an idiot”…hope the Hawks win tonight against the Bucks…may “Snowman is an idiot’s” boy Salim might torch the Hawks tonight (now I can’t stop laughing!!!)…

Write positive stuff Sekou, you have it in you I love your stuff! You, of all people, know this team is overachieving and really is not that talented to win consistently on the road yet however they have 29 home victories and have swept the Pistons this season…I know Woody has to like that (smile)…

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Big Ray, yes I have been watching them from Washington D.C. for the last 6 years. I like the Hawks and I like what coach has done and is doing with them. So yes, guilty as charged…I am a Hawk and Mike Woodson fan. He has been steady and their record has been improving year to year. they represent the city of Atlanta with Class and Style (with pro athletes in trouble from time t time the Hawks have been scandal free over these 5 years…with young players at that).

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More you Ray…

They remind me of the Pistons of several years ago except the Pistons bench was incredible (and of course that is where coach came from)…Okur, Corliss Williamson, Elden Campbell, Mike James and Lindsey Hunter!!! This starting team, when healthy, is long and athletic like those guys were however our bench is NOT CLOSE and one of the worst in the league in my opinion. As a result coach has had to rely on the tight rotation that he has. By the way, the acquisition of Rasheed Wallace put that Piston team over the top. The point there is our front office has NOT made moves like that at the deadline or any other time, do you agree?…

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…Ray more (slow day)

Finally, the two picks Sund made were solid but there was no buzz about either and in fact, if Flip was so good why had he been on 5 different teams over 5 different seasons?…I would have wanted us to sign Roger Mason Jr. and Kwame Brown (crazy I keep saying that…smile) but I am so, so glad we have Flip. However we needed and need another BIG to help Horford and company.

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…almost done Ray…

One more point I LOVE JOSH’S TALENT!!!!!….Period…however I wish Josh had gone to college a year or would be open to listening. he makes the same mistakes an plays the same why year after year…month after month…if he would just follow the coaches orders…look Allen Iverson has been my favorite player over the last 13 years and just think how MUCH better he would have been if he listened to any of his coaches (except John Thompson). Pound for pound the most talented little guy out there however he too is UNCOACHABLE…I just don’t want Josh to become that guy.

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This is for you Sekou…

Write positive stuff Sekou, you have it in you I love your stuff! You, of all people, know this team is overachieving and really is not that talented to win consistently on the road yet however they have 29 home victories and have swept the Pistons this season…I know Woody has to like that (smile)…

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Ignition I don’t know about Josh and Horford playing off one another. I admit that we need to go down low for our scoring but we have no threats at the center and power forward position. Horford and Josh are both PROJECTS when it comes to their offensive games. Josh is playing better, but it has been a BAD year for him. Part of it was because of injuries.

Ray,

I have been trying to be POSITIVE during the LENT season (which will be over Sunday), but I have to disagree. Billy Knight said that Paul was too short. He wanted Marvin from the get go. I can’t stand some of Woodson’s offensive plays or his SUBSTITUTIONS and maybe even how he uses his TIMEOUTS, but I think that this is the best this team can do. They were 8 games under 500 last year, they are now 10 GAMES OVER!! This team hasn’t made any major moves like lets say Philly who signed ELTON BRAND (whose out for the season) Woody has had major INJURIES to all of his front court players. They have all missed extended parts of the season and we don’t know if we are getting MARVIN back. This team will never be a CHAMPIONSHIP contender until they make some major moves.

Ray you can say that it has taken WOODSON five years, but you can’t count the first two because they were still trying to clear CAP space. Hell, the first year they didn’t have Marvin or Joe. All they had were the two Joshes, Harrington, and Ty Lue.

People don’t expect much from this team. They are what they are which is slightly above MEDIOCRITY. They SHOULD win in the first round of the playoffs, but you know they will probably get swept in the second which is nothing new. (they have never gotten past the second round in there pathetic HISTORY!!!)

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Snowman, What kind of coach plays Tyronne Lue and Anthony Johnson ahead of Acie Law and Salim Stoudamire huh? Think about it……

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Looking to the future.

I think Bibby could be like a Jasen Terry coming off the bench. Point being, we need a pg who can defend better and put the front court in better positions to score. Al, Josh and ZaZa don’t have the greatest handles but are very effective on the receiving end of drive and kicks. JJ has supplied much of this passing while Bibby is more effective around the top of the circle. For the team to change from primarily jump shooting team to a front court first team relies on a new pg or an improved Acie. I have not given up on Acie becoming that type of PG.

I believe we can afford to be patient while Acie, Marvin, Josh, Al, Mario, Solo etc. as they continue to grow and realize their upside potential. We still have a Childress, Speedy and draft picks to look for a piece down low to add more defensive presence.

The biggest question is Bibby’s contract. We need some of those dollars to reward up coming contracts. Him and Speedy are the only players who seem to be over paid into today’s market. Of course the flip side of Acie, is will Woody give him enough minutes to come into his own so we can determine once and for all if he’s our guy for the future.

I wish the owners would give us some kind of indication of how money supply will effect Sunds decisions to resign players over the next couple of years.

Looking to the playoffs.

If Marvin can get in a couple of games before the playoffs and Acie can get a few more minutes I think we’ll be ready to rock and roll.

For all of our griping our team has improved but is still not an elite team. It is what it is. I would say we have not over or under performed and have enjoyed the results of an improved team. How well we do will mostly rely on our defense and jump shooting. We have a great shot at winning the first round and gaining experience in the second.

One last point. Sund should get more credit for Flip and Mo who have turned out to be great bargains and decent players.

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Mark, I agree with everything you said, But I also know salim was on his best behavior during the 07-08 season. I slao recallyLarry Bron saying he loved Bibby on the 2003 Olympic team, but things do chnge lol.

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Excellent, excellent points Mark!…bravo!!!…for you “Snowman is an idiot”, coach and his staff have developed Josh, Marvin and Al and even Chill…He has done it like a college coach would…I guess you thought Sheldon is good as well and was a good draft pick?…are you Salim’s agent?…Mark, again you said what took me entirely too long to say and that is NO ONE could of or would of done a better job of coaching this crew….if they win the 1st round that will be a great accomplishment and another step on the way…GO HAWKS and let’s everyone get behind these guysand support them!!!!

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In my opinion, one of the reasons the Hawks won last night is because they were 11-22 on 3 pointers. The problem with the Hawks is that if they’re not making 3’s, we’re in trouble, because we are still going to attempt 15-20 a game, and there is no offensive adjustment (from the coach or the players) to go inside more.

That being said, a win is a win, and that’s all that matters.

I am looking forward to the game tonight. I would like to see what Ramon Sessions can do against Bibby. Bibby has had a couple good games recently (although even when he has a good game, he still gets outplayed by the opposing PG (see Rondo and Calderon)).

If we win tonight, what’s the magic number? 1? Let’s go Hawks.

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Brian McCann is beasting so far. Now I can see why they got rid of Estrada and Salty. As far as the Hawks go, why cant we just play teams on winning streaks every game? But seriously, it was a good win, but I’m not letting myself get up too high, only to be brought back down to the ground tomorrow night against Milwaukee. It’s happened to me too many times this year.

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The one thing for sure is we never know which Hawks team will show up. We do know what they will try as a game plan. We know that the back court will jack up a bunch of jumpers and normally give way to a slow start. Then it’s up to the bench or the front court to get us back into the game.

JJ usually doesn’t shoot well until he takes it to the hole and drives. He seems to use jacking up jumpers to warm to the idea that driving works better.

Bibby is going to focus on coming off of screens to shoot, If that doesn’t work, Bibby will focus on coming off of screens to shoot.

Sometimes, after shooting a low percentage we actually start rotating the ball. We play much better with good ball rotation which happens in about 1/2 the games.

We know Woody will not change his player rotation unless there are foul problems. Woody believes teams have to adjust to him and not the other way around. The George Bush playbook of situational execution. Sorry about that.

We usually do not start playing our best defense until the 2nd half. A lot of times this is because of inspired defense and awe inspiring dunks by Josh.

Once we get inspired, we become a pretty hard team to beat.

One out of 4 games or so our plan really works well. We shoot lights out and win. When JJ, Bibby and Flip shoot a high percentage we become a pretty hard team to beat.

We seem to be able to dominate in different parts of quarters. I guess we call this a run. And then just as likely give it right back. This makes for exciting games but sets us up for another weakness of our team. Free Throw shooting.

This young team is growing and improving. Some of us think that changing the way we play is a coaching problem. However it’s hard to argue with the improvement year after year. Our players play hard for Woody so we should at least give him that.

At this point in the season it’s to late to change anything. Ride the horse that brought you there and pray the jumpers fall. If they don’t, pray JJ drives and then drives and kicks. If that doesn’t work leave it ZaZa and Flip to bring it.

It’s game time, bring it.

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My Gosh. Woody sub Joe for a 1 min in the 1st qtr. The Bucks only had a 1pt lead before he can call timeout to send Joe back in the game…

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How did Josh make that great ball fake and pass to Horford with NO basketball I.Q.?

Must of gotten lucky.

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I’m glad you guys can watch it. I live in Birmingham and my SportSouth channel says its Hawks, but they are showing one of those stupid “In my own words” shows no one cares about. WHAT GIVES????

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Uh… so I’m not watching the game, but… how the F-CK are the Bucks shooting 66%?

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If I’m not mistaken, the magic number for the Hawks to clinch the 4th seed is 2. Winning this game would make it 1, and would allow the Hawks’ starters to get some rest heading into the playoffs. It can’t be THAT hard to beat a Bucks team with nothing to play for on the road that’s missing arguably its two best players. Come on.

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If there’s anything positive I can see on this box score, it’s that the Hawks have already attempted 20 free throws, which means they are at least making an effort to attack the basket and get fouled. Usually that results in the tide turning your way in the 2nd half as players get into deeper foul trouble. But allowing 62% shooting and 20 assists on 39 made baskets is just abhorrent for a team that expects to make some noise in the playoffs.

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The defense has been horrible. Their bench also outplayed ours in the first half. Maybe Woodson will make some adjustments. And yea Nique is still Nique for those who cant see the game.

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Big Ray, I lost my mind earlier, sorry about that (smile). Hey listen you are clearly up on this and I enjoyed the exchange because you were very thoughtful and clear in your position. We can agree to disagree on Woody because I do think he has done a really, really good job given all of the circumstances over the 5 years he has been there. I know there are allot of other coaches who have not done suggitty in this league and Woody has stayed steady and the results are clear. I would just like to see what happens when or if ownership gets these guys a andditional BIG to help Horford and a couple of players on the bench.

Finally, we both are Hawk fans and we both hope they advance to the 2nd round this season and if that happens there will be enough Kudos to go around for everybody!!!…Enjoy the game tonight I see they are down 9 at the half (ouch)…

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big free throws josh…

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Has anyone noticed that Josh tends to step his free throw shooting game up in big moments? It certainly seems that way anyway…

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Good Nite… part 2.

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Huge Win for the Hawks tonite… Let’s beat Indy on Friday and rest our main guys next week…. Go Hawks…

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Well, I predicted 45-50 wins before the season. Glad to see the Hawks prove me right…lol

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yeah melvin, they have “officially” exceeded my expectations of 39 to 44 wins.

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I believe I told yall more than once that we would lock the 4 spot down and have a couple of games to rest our starters.

The good about this game: Josh looked a lot more comfortable at the line. Bibby seems to have his stroke back, just in time for the playoffs.

The Bad: JJ still reverts back to his old self. Tonight he hit some clutch shots but still not good shots. We’re still relying too much on the 3 ball.

Nique quote of the night:

Lamont Sessions “has woken” up.

Thank God for Mike Fratello and the telestrator, huh Doc or Nique would be on the streets.

Woody=COY

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I’m not going to say what my preseason win total was at this point for fear of jinxing myself…….let’s just say if we win out the rest of the way I’ll be right.

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With Cleveland playing at Philadelphia and Miami playing at Boston and Indiana playing at Atlanta Friday night the chances are high that the Hawks will clinch fourth seed Friday night. They could even lose and the chances would be good that they would clinch given their competitors opponents.

I know it would be nice to get the starters a break after clinching. But it would also be great to close out the season with a five game winning streak which is entirely within the realm of the possible given their opponents in these last three games.

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Great win for the Hawks tonight!

As predicted after having to face superior teams, the Hawks would regain their swagger against lesser opponents. The Hawks will not only secure the 4th position in the East, but have a bit of mo working going into playoff season.

Good job by the team..and coaches.

Go Hawks!!

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Great job Hawks. Great job Woody. One thing the team has done a better job of recently, is coming out of half time and stepping their game up.

I think the Hawks will have the 4th seed locked up on Friday, so we definitely need to give the bench guys some burn the last few games. Hopefully Marvin will be able to play at least 2 regular season games to help him get ready for the playoffs.

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I predicted 42 wins and the 7th seed (comfortably). So they have exceeded my expectations. Thus, the reason I am enjoying the heck out of this season (just like I enjoyed the Falcons last year and hope to delight in what the Braves do… regardless of yesterday’s nightmare. Imagine if Woody had kept Joe on the bench while the opposing team went on a 15-0 run. That’s kind of what Cox did when he didn’t bring in Gonzo to put out the fire in the 7th inning).

Good news about Marvin, it sounds like he may be real close based on what happens at practice today. While I am not impressed with Evans as a SF, it seems like bringing Marvin off the bench (if he returns) would make the most sense… at least until he is ready to go full-charge for 30 minutes a game.

It would be great to wrap things up tomorrow against Indiana. I know how many bloggers around here are anxious to see the untapped oil fields we have in Morris, Gardner & Hunter.

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Hey Sekou,
Planning on writing another blog anytime soon?

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ill-logical, where do you come up with this stuff… nevermind

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Enter your comments here

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cowardice?

imitation, the best form of flattery.

here what was really said:

doc
March 29th, 2009
10:38 pm

kirk, though at my age i dont remember things that well, that series is still one that irks me as much as the d wade debacle a few years back to give that title to the heat. robbery. wasnt shaq the benefactor in both scenarios?

was just looking around the league. after comments made here detracting coach karl, clearly someone on the real list for coy, suggesting karl had lost the team and it was imploding; well they are now two games from 50 win elite category and won 8 of their last 10. anyone want to man up to their comments or have they mis-remembered?

oh yeah, how bout tiger! heeeee’s back! i can start watching golf again. everyone else is still a pretenda.

cowardly pretenda, not even close.

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Do you guys think that Joe can persuade Marion to come to Atlanta in a super 6th man role? I mean, they played four years together an they looked really friendly from what little I saw of the toronto game. I know Marion wouldn’t like a small role by going to Boston or something like that……but he also wants to be in a winning situation. We get out and run, and thats his style(he’s like the ultimate garbage guy…sorry zaza). I’d rather have him over childress, and Marion hasn’t lost any of his athleticisim at 31. Besides, at his age and with th ecenomy, there’s no way anyone will pay him above the MLE. I figure with us being 14mill under the cap over the summer, we could trade for Kaman and sign Marion befor using the Bird rights on Marvin…..that just leaves Bibby and Zaza though……this is going to be a very interesting summer.

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Ariose, didn’t Marion want out of Phoenix because he didn’t like being the third banana? While he may have changed his mind and may appreciate being on a winning team, I kind of doubt that he is ready to take a substantial pay-cut AND become a modern-day Childress for the team. Speaking of which, wouldn’t we rather have Chill at a lower price than Marion (if we’re talking about a bench guy)? Also, there are a few ‘tweeners available in free agency this summer. Bass, Powe and Big Baby are all some type of FA. I think those guys would also be cheaper options to provide that high-energy board work off the bench.

Ariose, is Salim going to play this season or are the Bucks just giving him an audition before the summer? I was expecting to see him get a little run last night and was disappointed. What’s the deal? Is he healthy?

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Novice Ned, You’re probably right about Marion. I was just thinking of him because i’m looking for a homerun hitter this off-season. Someone who will take us to that next level. We’re alreadytherir with that second teir of contenders like Utah, New Orleas and Portland. I just hope that whoever we get puts us over the top. Hey Rasheed is a Free Agent This summer too…..it’s worth looking into.

Also, Salim is singed through next season. They are playing it safe with him. They want him to continue to rehab to make sure the injury doesn’t relapse. They figure with nothing to play for and less than five games left on the season, there was no reason to risk playing him. It also gives him time to go through training camp with the and get acclimated to Scott Skiles’ system.

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Even when the Hawks were down 9 at the break, I knew they would return to win the game last night. I knew because I realized Hawks had not stepped up their defence yet, and Milwaukee could not keep shooting such a high percentage. I wasn’t worried at all, just watched and enjoy the game. Even when the Bucks tied the game in the fourth, I still knew Hawks were going to win. Great back to back road wins. Now can they win the remaining 3 games left in the season?

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Having split personality issues. I use Novice Ned on the Braves blog (since I’m a modest baseball fan and those guys over there are straight from the Iowa farm). Sorry to confuse anyone.

I am Ned and Ned is I… or something like that.

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Doc:

You wrote -”after comments made here detracting coach karl, clearly someone on the real list for coy, suggesting karl had lost the team and it was imploding; well they are now two games from 50 win elite category and won 8 of their last 10.”

I did not copy all of your quote but I want to disagree with what appears to be equating 50 wins as part of the “elite category”. I don’t mean to quibble and I think you may have misstated your position but I do not consider 50 wins to be a part of the “elite category”. To be considered elite I think a team needs to be near are at least very close to a 60 win season. This year there are 4 teams that I would consider to be in that category – LA, Cleveland, Boston and Orlando. After rereading your post I think you were really referring to the 50 win category as being the second level of success and that Denver is in that category.

I know there are bloggers here who get upset because some of do not consider the Hawks to be striving for that goal. Frankly, given the circumstances surrounding this team I think the only way our Hawks can get to that level is with a change in ownership. So I look to see at what level they can compete. I think it is at the 50-60 wind level if everything goes exactly right. Right now they are on the cusp of that level. there are seven other playoff bound teams in the Western Conference. who are either at or near that level. That is where Karl is.

After this season is over I think it will be fun to speculate on what the Hawks can do to reach that level. It will also be fun to see the pro and con of whether they will be able to maintain the growth they have achieved over the past five seasons. It will also be fun to look at the teams in the third tier and speculate on which teams are rising as well as to see what teams currently at that level who will fall out. And can any team at that second level reach the first level. Or will any of the teams at that highest level fall off that tier next year. I will go on record as predicting that the Celtics have run their course and are due to fall out unless changes are made over the summer. They do have ownership capable of making the needed changes.

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GEEMACK-with an OFF system that better suites the talents of the players and team instead of the HC, with better decision making, better player and mins utilization, instead of overplaying a select few, maybe Woodson would be stuffing his roster full of Allstar’s rather than a doghouse full of young players begging to escape.

No other NBA team has KG, Pierce, Allen, Odom, Bryant or Gasol on their rosters. Look at how many HC’s that have been fired over the last 2yrs. Following your flawed logic, no HC should be held accountable and/or fired for their teams poor performances because they didn’t have RAllen, KGarnett, PPierce, KBryant, LOdom or PGasol or 5 former or current Allstars on their roster?

A HC’s accomplishments are judged by how they perform with the players on their roster, not how they might perform with the players on someone else’s roster. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?

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Ken, to your 3:03 post, what is the time-honored way to judge a head coach’s performance with the players on their roster? Is it actual wins or shoulda/coulda wins? Is it actual accomplishments or shoulda/woulda accomplishments? Is it demonstrated improvement in wins/playoff status, etc or is it shoulda/coulda? I agree with your earlier post, Woody should be evaluated based on the 15 players on his 08-09 roster and not who wasn’t available to coach. Likewise, he should be evaluated on his 40-something wins and not that “potential” for a bigger number.

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Ken Strickland

Give it a rest man.. We all know what your post is about when we see your name pop up.

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Lawson will be in Europe in 3 years–Do you even watch basketball man? Just because he doesn’t fit your prejudiced ideal of a nba player doesnt mean he’s gonna fail. He takes care of the ball, he penetrates, he passes, and he shoots better and better every year. He has shown more next level talent than Maynor or Jennings. when did you even watch those two anyways? stop talking out of your ass.

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