Guess who’s biz-ack!
Things are looking up for Marvin Williams and the Hawks!
HAWKSVILLE - One and it’s done.
That’s it for the Hawks.
Win one more game (Friday against Indiana at Philips Arena) and the race for the fourth spot and home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs is done.
But believe it or not, the Hawks could have something even more important going on at Philips Arena tomorrow night in the form of Marvin Williams returning to action after a 16-game absence because of a lower back injury.
Williams had what was initially believed to be an injury that would sideline him for the remainder of the season. But he’ll be back, possibly tonight against Indiana and certainly by the playoffs.
I’ve seen all the chatter back and forth around here about Marvin not being missed (back when the Hawks rolled through that March homestand unblemished and without him). Then the tide changed and the Hawks’ struggled and the pro-Marvin crowd resurfaced to campaign for their guy.
I’m rollin’ with the pro-Marvin crowd on this one folks.
Show me a team that doesn’t want to be at full strength and I’ll … well, you can’t. No one in the NBA is that foolish. You think the Celtics would rather play without Kevin Garnett? Or the Lakers would rather play without Andrew Bynum? I don’t care that they’re winning without him. They’d rather have him that not.
Same goes for any team that’s without a starter this time of year.
And one last time, heading into tonight’s games the Hawks’ magic number for that No. 4 spot is one. One more win by the Hawks, or a loss by both Miami and Philadelphia locks that spot up.
On to some other news:
ROAD WINNERS - In the aftermath of the Hawks’ successful two-game road trip to Toronto and Milwaukee a discussion stirred about when was the last time the Hawks won road games on back-to-back days? The Mad VP and his crew took it a step further Thursday with some research that turned up and even crazier nugget than I imagined.
I had just discovered NWA the last time the Hawks won road games on back-to-back nights.
November of 1988 (that’s right, 1988 not 1998) is the last time the Hawks won back-to-back road games while also overcoming halftime deficits. Sometimes, I honestly forget just how deep the pool of futility has been for Hawks fans the last 15 years or so.
Most of us were in junior high or something the last time the Hawks pulled of what they did this week.
It’s stunning when you really think about it.
JOE “CRUNCH TIME” JOHNSON - Much has been made of the Hawks’ (over)reliance on captain and All-Star Joe Johnson on the offensive end of the floor. And I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t like it for all sort of reasons (too much heat on your best player and star, marginalizes the talents of four other guys on the floor, gives defenses an easy scouting report to defend you, etc.).
On the flip side, Johnson does rank among the league’s elite players in fourth quarter scoring (he’s among the top six). The other five guys on the list are Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul and Brandon Roy. Not bad company. Unfortunately, Johnson also leads the league in minutes this season, too.
PRACTICE SQUAD - You don’t often hear about the work that the guys that don’t play in games do behind the scenes. But when I hit the practice floor for practice Thursday morning, I first noticed Marvin on the floor working out with the seven other guys in an intense half court game. The very next thing that struck me was how hard Mario West and Solomon Jones were going at him, almost like they were testing him for the Indiana game.
And they didn’t let up the entire time. West is a practice demon, a guy that never eases up – which is why I’m never surprised to see him inserted into a game to change the pace. He’s gone after Bryant, James and anyone else Hawks coach Mike Woodson has felt like throwing him at this year.
Tangle with Mario West at your own peril.
Williams was certainly appreciative of their work. “Those cats go so hard,” Williams said. “Rio is like that when he walks into the locker room for practice. He’s always going 100 miles an hour. And Solo has done this all year. Normally, I just watch those guys go at it on practice days like this. Right now, though, I need them to help me get it back. So I’m just glad all these guys are here.”
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a whole lot of West tonight against Indiana.
Williams will probably see limited minutes if he does return. And Mo Evans is not expected to be with the team due to a personal family matter, so West might actually be inserted into the starting lineup if the Hawks decide to stick with their normal set instead of using the big lineup with Zaza Pachulia with Al Horford and Josh Smith across the frontline.
With just one game needed to secure that fourth spot and home court advantage, West might be just the energy boost the Hawks need to help them get past these sluggish first half starts that have plagued them recently.
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244 comments Add your comment
KevinA
April 10th, 2009
11:01 pm
Big Ray, you have been blogging about the front court needing more touches all season. Sometimes we win without it sometimes we don’t. Our best ball is when we get them off early and often. JJ and Bibby still got theirs. I wish JJ would redifine his role. Take the shot at the end of the shot clock and work to get the ball to the young fellers. The last couple of games this is happening. I’m not sure why, but I love the ell outa it.
doc
April 10th, 2009
11:03 pm
yeah kirk, folks better get used to woody being back. i guess you beter get ready to having to deal with all the negativism.
) you forget this is atlanta where folks still dont give cox any slack and still claim him to be incompetent.
solo really impressed me tonight, the kid works hard on the court and is given no calls fro the refs. he has great touch around the basket and from the line and showed it tonight.
KevinA
April 10th, 2009
11:05 pm
JJ may be the best player in the league with 6 seconds left. Above average, early in the shot clock. I think next year we can get to 55 wins with this style of play.
KevinA
April 10th, 2009
11:09 pm
The Hawks could do a rare thing and resign everybody with no changes. In the age of instant gratification we should reward our players and see what we can do next year. Starting to hail. OOOhhhMY.
beau gust
April 10th, 2009
11:12 pm
Najeh, I think they have to wait to find out all eight spots before they set up the schedule. The networks will want to make sure that they have a chance to show all their favorite stars in prime time.
kirkinga
April 10th, 2009
11:14 pm
Well guys I wouldn’t say it’s 100% guaranteed that he’ll be back.
If the Hawks get swept by the Heat then I could see him being fired because of the team “needing to get out of the 1st round”.
So there’s still hope for some out there!
Go Hawks!!
Big Ump
April 10th, 2009
11:28 pm
Ken Strickland
I see you at it again. Always about the HC. Can you post just once without bringing the HC name up.
shocked
April 10th, 2009
11:33 pm
Mac-Town
Who takes more bad shots Bibby, JJ or JS? Please don’t let your hatred of JS affect your answer.
Snowman
April 10th, 2009
11:33 pm
Great win Hawks!!!…Great win!!…Congrats to coach and all of the Hawk players. By Joe, I thing Josh is finally starting to get it…what a difference 4-6 weeks makes huh?…when Woody had to sit Josh down.
Go Hawks…4th spot…I bet there is a party or two going on in the ATL tonight? (smile)…I have nothing negative to say and I just want to give a “Shout out” to Kirkinga…good job!!!…Hawks win, Hawks win, Hawks win!!!…by the way, has anyone seen that hater Jeff Schultz???…Maybe we should put his face on a side of a milk carton…He’s been hating on Woody for a year or two!!!…Maybe he’ll write a postive article now unless he does not work for the AJC any longer? (smile)..owe one final thing can Tiger come back from 7 down?…I hope so…
Big Ray
April 10th, 2009
11:35 pm
LOL@ Kirk again….
KevinA,
I agree. JJ can still get his with the frontcourt getting involved early and often. Fact is, we need JJ for those “take over the game” moments. It can’t be easy to find just the right mix for when to have the ball in JJ’s hands for a score, and when to let him be a threat while letting the frontcourt do the heavy lifting.
It’s really a trust issue, and while you might think I’m wantint to point at Woody for this….I’m not. That trust has to start with the players. JJ still only trusts Bibby or Flip to take the shot, or take the rock to the hole. He needs to trust his younger running mates more, but this doesn’t happen overnight. It happens over time.
Al and Josh are coming into their own, showing their ability to dominate opponents in games, especially when playing in a good flow together (like tonight). JJ and the other veterans have to find ways to integrate themselves into this flow, by injecting their own groove without disturbing the flow.
The team has struggled when our veteran backcourt has tried to take the yoke on it’s own and shoot a bunch of shots. The result has been numerous individual 6-17, 2-9, and 8-22 type of efforts. This only alienates the younger, but equally talented frontcourt players who are able to do what the backcourt players often cannot do inside. And so, they went off on their own, trying to get it done on their own.
JJ made mention of that very same thing earlier in the season (guys trying to get it all done on their own). What he didn’t realize is that though he’s the number 1 option on offense, he was arguably the most guilty person of doing that which he was complaining about. The shot attempts and resulting percentages will prove my point rather handily, I assure you.
But they seem to have relaxed a bit now. While defining the roles is a job for Woodson and his coaching staff, the players must also recognize, accept, and play these roles. If not, then it all comes tumbling down. And even in a 46-win season, we’ve seen plenty of that in our 34 losses.
That’s why I sometimes feel that the team is better than their record, just as I did last season.
But hey, 46+ wins is closer than ever.
Ariose
April 10th, 2009
11:37 pm
“I agree Sautee. I think he is better than Granger right now.”
I did not write this. Someone is trying to be me…….i’m flatterd.
In other news, Mac-Town is obviously high……
Ariose
April 10th, 2009
11:56 pm
The thing that I love about this game is that the first couple of plays at the start of this game went through the frontcourt. Josh and Al rewarded us by getting hot early. This took a HUGE bullseye off of Joe and Mike. By the time Joe started going to work it was to late for the Pacers to double because Josh and AL were already hot. They had to play everyone straight up, and the result is we score 120+ points.
Why woodson does not implement that philosophy at the start of every game is beyond my comprehenshion.
Shaunty
April 11th, 2009
12:09 am
This team has no backup point guard, and this will prove costly in the playoffs. Everyone (including Sekou) can ignore this, but I know I’m right, and unless Speedy plays or we sign someone, this will doom the Hawks.
cp
April 11th, 2009
12:31 am
Great win. Nice to have the 4th spot locked up. I hope Woodson rest some guys the last few games and let the youngsters get some burn.
If Nique is brought back next year, I truly hope he works on his craft this off-season. In the beginning of the season I figured it was something new to him and he was nervous and would improve as the season went on but boy was I wrong. Tonight he was talking about Granger was having a sub par game but Granger had like 23 points and it was only the 3rd quarter. If Nique is serious about broadcasting he really needs to work on it because its difficult to sit through a game listening to him. I love Nique the player but the broadcaster no.
Clyde
April 11th, 2009
12:45 am
The Hawks win home court. What in the world will happen next.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 11th, 2009
1:31 am
“This team has no backup point guard”
Yes it does. His name is Acie Law IV and he wears #4. Given real minutes he has contributed this season. Activating Speedy will only result in one more backcourt player getting sporadic minutes and being unable to find a rhythm. Speedy is useless to this team at this point, especially since he hasn’t played in what, two years? Do you really expect him to come in and immediately provide more quality minutes than Acie has? Come on now.
Tree Rollins
April 11th, 2009
1:38 am
MAC-Town,
I dont think you will find many that will disagree that Josh is not one of our top outside shooters…its your unwillingness to recognize all the positives he brings to the team thats annoying. He is a great game changer and contributes loads on offense (especially lately) and defense…your constant knocks on his outside shooting is simply u focusing on his weakness which is really not even a large part of his game. No one knocks bibby for not being a good post up player. Its obvious you simply dont like josh…which is your right….but when your on a hawks blog filled with hawks fans dont be surprised to get called an idiot from time to time…I bet if josh smith swam into the ocean to save your drowning child you would complain he didnt swim fast enough….get over your hatin man and be excited bout this 4th spot and be a fan like the rest of us.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 11th, 2009
1:48 am
The funny thing is that most of Josh’s ugly outside shots for which his haters never stop criticizing him usually come as the clock is winding down and he really doesn’t have much of a choice but to hoist a prayer. The real question is, why is the Hawks’ offense so discombobulated to where he is put in that position so often? Why does the offensive scheme not ensure that he is near the paint area at all times? Why does the offensive scheme not ensure that Joe Johnson or Mike Bibby is able to get a better look at the basket earlier in the clock so that Josh or Mo Evans or whoever isn’t put in that situation? You don’t see Amare Stoudemire or Chris Bosh near the 3 point line with 2 seconds left in the clock, because they are consistently fed the ball in the post which ensures that they are near the paint area at all times. It all comes back to scheme. Josh’s wild 3’s are equally frustrating to all of us, but they can be very easily avoided with an intelligent offensive system, which is something the Hawks really don’t have yet.
All that said, he really needs to work on developing a reliable mid range jumper. He doesn’t really need a 3 point shot, but he has to be able to knock down that 18-footer when needed. Considering how suspect his handles are, he has to be able to keep defenders honest with that to make it easier on himself when he is going one-on-one.
Ariose
April 11th, 2009
2:30 am
Wow,if the Hawks went 37-45 this season we wouldn’t even get in the playoffs. The Eastern confrence has seriously improved this year. Cleveland wrapped up the 4th spot last season with a 45-37 record. We’re already at 46-34 this season. I hope we don’t tank these last two games so that my pre-season prediction of 48-34 will come true……besides it looks better to those biased ESPN LeBron/Kobe lovers. The less they have to complain about, the better lol.
BA
April 11th, 2009
4:00 am
I’m proud to be a Hawks fan this morning. They won’t make it to my predicted 50 win mark, but this has been a hell of a ride. Can’t say enough about the difference Flip Murray has made on this team, and this is the Josh Smith I remember. Like Barkley said, Philly can’t beat the Hawks.
I got a real problem with the song they played after the clinch announcement, though-
http://crashingtheglass.com
Big Ray
April 11th, 2009
4:58 am
From Clyde: The Hawks win home court. What in the world will happen next.
Clyde will realize that Horford is a stud, whether he’s playing out of preferred position or not….and that Sean Williams is still a turd….
Sekou Smith
April 11th, 2009
5:54 am
What I’m really curious about is what some of you cats are doing up at this time of morning? Ha. I just woke up from a Zirtec nap (in need of a sinus transplant immediately (thanks to all that yellow stuff covering my deck). What’s your excuse?
I just read through the conversation from the game and I’m stunned anyone is complaining about anything right now. Did you forget where you’ve come from?
This blog started in the final stages of a 13-69 season, at a time when the most positive things discussed revolved around the players available in the draft lottery. Now you’ve got homecourt advantage for the playoffs and a 46-win (and counting) season and you’re upset with Josh Smith’s shot selection … what is this the twilight zone?
Enjoy this moment folks, even if it’s just for a moment. But to come from 13-69 and all the bumps along that road to 46-34 and then complain about it seems a bit odd to me. And sure, all the warts are still there. They just don’t look quite as bad as they did when your team stunk!
Big Ray
April 11th, 2009
6:28 am
Right on about that, Sekou.
Some people are Josh haters for life. Or whatever.
My excuse? Well, I work the night shift right now…
Patrick
April 11th, 2009
6:39 am
I think Atlanta matches up extremely well with Miami. Defensively, they can hide Bibby on Chalmers, and they can switch every screen-roll involving Wade because JJ, Marvin, Josh, and Al are long, quality defenders. And once you get past Wade, I’m not sure that team would win the D-League title.
Philly, I’m not so sure about. I was at the recent Philly game, and Atlanta looked out of sorts. Igoudala is a tremendous defender (limiting JJ) and the 76ers front court is very tough and physical. Even with Smith playing out of his mind (13-15 from the floor, 3-3 on 3s or something like that), the Hawks were struggling to get good looks and score.
Fortunately, it looks likely that Miami is the likely opponent. Not only is that series very winnable, but a couple of games against Dwayne Wade will brace the Hawks for the one-sided officiating waiting for them against LeBron.
Coach D
April 11th, 2009
7:10 am
Has anybody heard why ZaZa didn’t play Friday night?
J.J.M.
April 11th, 2009
9:10 am
MAC-TOWN is a josh smith hater..good season hawks. ill be at the playoff games AGAIN suporting the Atlanta hawks.
doc
April 11th, 2009
9:29 am
coach d, not sure but i think it was more about what the match ups were last night. i havent kept up with the pacers this year but they are not a bad team. they have some severe length and quickness themselves and when you have murphy essentially planting himself out side but still avg 12 rebounds a game it suggests that zaza might not be able to keep up with what was needed.
instead of forcing it with zaza, i’ll give woody credit for getting solo into the game. it looked more strategic rather than wanting to give solo some time on the court before the playoffs. whatever, solo delivered. i think if he had had more time on court in games he would be less foul prone and add another dimension as the guy is long, doesnt look uncomfortable guarding someone outside the box and has a a better touch than ether, josh, al or zaza. the kid can play and should be given more time to show it. too late for this season though.
did anyone notice what happened on the bench last night when rio picked up his 5th foul. marvin jumped up and was taking his warm up off and ready to go in a relieve rio. woody quickly pushed him back tot he bench. the guy is a player and wants to contribute. just want to see a little more of the killa attitude in him.
al was huge last night and had some “easy” (nothing is easy when you are timing a jump running full speed to meet the ball hanging about 12 ft off the ground) baskets because of the way he ran the floor.
jj had some crucial shots and didnt hog the ball while getting his points. not sure but i think granger had his way with him and it seemed like josh had the quickness and athleticism to keep up with him and slowed him down. it was amazing to watch josh chase him through screens. he also looked to have more of the j smash in him instead of the j smoove crap.
bibby was close to a double double and didnt see if he ever got it but was at 9 assists the last time i checked. it was one of his better games of late, as well.
overall nice win with everyone involved. even thought flip was playing within the confines of what was dictated in the game.
guess woody finally coached them up. good job woody! 46 and counting. now to get 6 wins in the post season. i’ll be there for some of it for sure, good stuff.
doc
April 11th, 2009
9:33 am
btw, murphy is going to find a team that is perfect for him and make a splash. the guy avg 45% from the three point line and avg close to 12 rebounds a game. who else in the league can do that? the guy can ball and cause problems. cleveland would be a huge spot for him as a complimentary final piece for a team the way gasol was for kobe and the lakers.
Shaunty
April 11th, 2009
9:48 am
Najeh, are you serious?
ACIE LAW ISN’T HEALTHY. HE IS CONSISTENTLY INJURED. HE WILL NOT BE FULLY HEALTHY THE REST OF THE YEAR.
Your post was absolutely thoughtless and horrible
Sautee
April 11th, 2009
10:47 am
From MAC TOWN: “Well Big Ray, I dont like the way Josh Smith plays on the Hawks, I think he would be great on a team that runs and guns all the time, not one that forces him to play into his weaknesses (jump shooting and taking people off the dribble ..trying to do crossovers and such).”
So MAC, how great was Josh last night if he scored 30 points while playing to his weaknesses?
And if the offensive system that WOODY DESIGNS doesn’t fit Josh’s talents, then who is to blame? One would THINK that an organization that signs a player to a 6 year $58M contract would want to USE that player in the most efficient way possible.
You act as if Josh goes outside and hangs at the 3 point line totally on his own.
Get a freakin’ clue. He’s playing the way Woody designed the offense.
On another tack, those who know me KNOW that I would never compare Marvin to MJ.
Nice try by SOMEBODY who obviously doesn’t remember me trashing Marvin last year for lack of a 3 point shot by a 6′ 9″ SF. Or else had their OWN agenda.
Yeah, I got it. heh heh.
Shaunty, a little harsh on Poop aren’t you? I saw nothing in his post that was “absolutely thoughtless and horrible” EXCEPT for the fact that he disagreed (and did so politely) with you. Other than that his post was sane, sensible and logical. If you disagreed with him (obviously you did) why be accusatory?
And are you a doctor? Have you examined Acie and KNOW that he won’t be healthy the rest of the year? Making some specious claims there, bro.
The back of Elijah's Mind
April 11th, 2009
10:57 am
ummm, Speedy, Speedy, Speedy, Speedy, Speedy, ummm.
Well nobody’s listening to me…..I know, I’ll post as Shaunty and no one will know it’s me.
Shaunty says: ummm, Speedy, Speedy, Speedy, Speedy, Speedy, ummm.
Speedy! Why am I the only one who sees this? We could win the Conference if not the Finals with Speedy.
Nate ArchiBALL
April 11th, 2009
10:59 am
ZaZa injured his back according to the NBA channel.
I would like to see more of Solo, Josh and Al on the court at the same time…….
As I’ve said before, Josh and Al are at their best when the Hawks are pushing the ball. Very few frontline players in the NBA can keep up with them.
MAC-TOWN – What “Real Center” is available? In today’s NBA there are very few real centers. If you’re lucky you can get a two serviceable Centers which translates into 12 fouls to use against the Dwight Howard’s of the league..
ILL-logical
April 11th, 2009
11:01 am
Good win-contributions from a variety of guys in a variety of ways.
The better news may be that with one or maybe two series,the economic impact will be a godsend for the local economy and the ownership group’s pockets as well.
If the ownership group can reduce their losses through playoff revenue then maybe ,just maybe they will make some better decisions regarding the payroll. But I am still not comforable with Sund’s ability to judge talent.
So I am going to enjoy this season for all of the good things it has provide to date. Congratulations all!
TheHawksFan
April 11th, 2009
11:10 am
Mannnnn Im am STOKED!!!!! I know we played hard for this Home court vantage, BUT wth a format of 2-2-1-1-1, if we lose one of the 1st 2….hmmmmmm. Think good thoughts Think good thoughts. Think good thoughts. Leave Josh ALone . Just leave him alone will u. Leave him aloneeee. That WONT be on youtube. That shot is coming just hold on. Same for Mario, let these guys develope. Great to see Marv BACK with a good Back. My Thoughts and Prayers go out to Mo and his family. I’m still kinda slizzard from last nights Peachtree street bar hoping, BUT I cold have sworn the front page story was talking about how Blank couldnt sell his home for 9 mill that he paid 4 mil for that was just appraised for 5 mil. WTFE!!!! GOOOOO HAWKS!!!!!
Samuel
April 11th, 2009
11:51 am
How do you post a web link on this blog?
hawk's hawk
April 11th, 2009
12:22 pm
Yea Josh sucks so bad, that he have some great stat’s and he aint even first in turnovers! wonder who that is! Mr Dribblematic. Good Game Hawks, crazy how well we play when we run and the front court both get at least 15pts and 10rebounds. hope Woody does it from time to time, cant do it the whole game since we only have 8 players.
The Truth
April 11th, 2009
12:53 pm
Boy, that was a nice spring-break vacation but I’m glad to be back in Hawksville
I see a lot has changed since I left. The Hawks has clinched the 4th seed playoff spot. WAY TO GO HAWKS!!! So, I’ll also echo a congratulatory shout-out to all the players and coaching staff for a job well done. The way Sekou related the Hawks 13-69 seasons to the origin of this blog really put the Hawks accomplishment in to prospective. So, to say that the Hawks is making progress is definitely an understatement. Since there is a time and a place for everything; now is not the time to criticize and is indeed a time to bask in the glory of a successfully season; so I’ll give out some title awards to deserving selected players:
Joe Johnson – Sill the Man and Face of the Franchise (2nd year)
Josh Smith – The Heart and Soul of the Team
Al Horford – Mr. Yeomen
Marvin Williams – The X Factor
Mike Bibby – The Cardiac Kid
Flip Murray – The Punisher
Mario West – The Energizer
Congratulation; these title awards are reflective of the player’s role and contribution.
This Hawks team has grown from being a one-man show with just JJ jump shooting talent to a multifaceted of talents that is very difficult to defend against when they are operating at perk performance. The usual strategy to double JJ may not be a viable option anymore. The theory of picking your poison with this team is now a reality. Looking ahead at the playoff, it will be interesting to see how the opponents plan their attack against these Hawks.
However, immediately after the celebration, the Hawks need to hit the reset button and put the accomplishment behind them and get ready for the playoff. As much as we dish-out praises around here, unfortunately we still live in a “what have you done for me lately world”.
Big Ump
April 11th, 2009
1:00 pm
Truth
Nice post. Glad you enjoyed your vacation.
MAC-TOWN
April 11th, 2009
1:39 pm
ay yall can attack me all yall want but Josh Smith screws up more than he comes up big….to me.
he messes up 4 games in a row then has 1 nice game and someone pops up like
“where the josh smith haters at now”…lol yea ok
I’d rather see him goin to the hoop strong, gettin put backs, point blank shots, being active on D,
thriving whenever we do run and gun….
all I’m saying is it baffles me how he can take the amount of jumpers and “let me cross u over and beat u off the dribble” on so many possessions when he can just pass the ball to someone who’s actually good at shooting and dribbling…thats not his game
yall boys kno that
i think yall just like that cat so much because he an ATL hometown product.
MAC-TOWN
April 11th, 2009
1:40 pm
Thomas Gardner>Josh Smith
MAC-TOWN
April 11th, 2009
1:41 pm
lol
Ariose
April 11th, 2009
1:53 pm
Tuth,
Flip Murray= GOON-Squad
Mo= Mr.Steady
Ariose
April 11th, 2009
1:59 pm
MAC, So because Josh is faster than all of the other Power-forwards in the leauge he shouldn’t use that to his advantage and take them off the dribble?
You’re a genious!!!
The Truth
April 11th, 2009
2:11 pm
Ariose
I’m buy Mo= Mr.Steady or better Mr. Reliable
Sautee
April 11th, 2009
2:28 pm
MAC-TOWN said this:
“ay yall can attack me all yall want but Josh Smith screws up more than he comes up big….to me.
he messes up 4 games in a row then has 1 nice game and someone pops up like
“where the josh smith haters at now”…lol yea ok”
I’d rather see him goin to the hoop strong, gettin put backs, point blank shots, being active on D,
thriving whenever we do run and gun….”
Which, MAC TOWN, is EXACTLY what he did last night, but instead of acknowledging THAT, you’d rather b*tch about whatever you think he FAILED to do.
About that “messes up up 4 games in a row then has 1 nice game”, that’s BS.
Let’s look at Josh’s last 5 games: 21.6 pts. 9.0 reb. 2.8 ast. 2.0 blk. 1.2 stl. 2.2 TO.
I’d say his 2 blocks, 1.2 steals and 2.8 assists more than cancel out his 2.2 to’s.
Keep in mind that these are the AVERAGES for the last 5 games. So how about that “messes up 4 games in a row then has 1 nice game?” Total BS.
I think you’re confusing his game with Bibby’s.
Sautee
April 11th, 2009
2:35 pm
Actually, that’s unfair to Bibby. Lately he HAS been more consistent, even though earlier in the year, he DID fit that mold.
Sautee
April 11th, 2009
3:04 pm
By the way MAC TOWN, while I vehemently disagree with your post about Josh, I TOTALLY agree with your post about Mario. Good stuff.
Ken Strickland
April 11th, 2009
3:41 pm
I certainly hope Zaza’s injured back isn’t serious enough to cause him to miss any gms. On the other hand, it might give Solo a chance, a chance he wouldn’t otherwise have, to show he’s talented enough for us to consider resigning. However, it could backfire by showing the league his potential and drive up his price. It could also increase his desire to leave the Hawks and go where he knows he’ll get a better opportunity than he’s gotten so far with the Hawks.
For a team that’s already considered undersized, it would almost be a disaster to lose both Zaza and Solo, 2 of your tallest and most talented BIG’s, to FA. It would also be disasterous to possibly lose our only 2 PG’s, MBibby and ALaw, to FA as well. On 2nd thought, I guess those losses, especially off the bench, can’t be that much of an issue since our bench has been neglected and seldom used anyway.
Dante Fitzgerald
April 11th, 2009
4:36 pm
GEt It, gEt It!!!!! Hawks, wezzz n da playoffs!!! 4th seed!!!
RA
April 11th, 2009
5:19 pm
I’m sorry, but for my money, and at 23, Josh Smith is one of the best prospects in the game. Given, he makes bad choices, but he’s not making nearly as many as he was before, he’s a quality defender and he’s shown EVERY indication that he CAN be that third scorer that the Hawks have desperately needed for a long time. So to all you folks that are bent on J-hating, stop and ask yourselves, how many other players, in the league, can do as many things as he can do as well as he can do them. Now, before you answer, take into consideration that there are four players that have had 85 steals and 85 blocks this season, one of them is named Josh Smith, two of the others are named James and Wade.
As for Woody, a lot of us have bashed the crap out of Woody, and the criticism has not been baseless, but he’s held this team together through all the adversities and all the injuries and by excruciatingly slow degrees, he’s won them over to the idea of playing the type of basketball that’s made them a winning team. Now, I realize that as people look back at this season they’re going to see a lot of mistakes, and then there’s all those games that the Hawks left on the free throw line. But here’s the thing, the coach can not go out there and make a team of grown men, who are getting paid very well I might add, go out and play hard for four quarters EVERY night. A coach can’t stand on the free throw line and make shots that keep you from losing those one or two point heartbreakers. All that a coach can do is prepare his team as best he can, and I’m secure that Mike Woodson’s done that to the best of his ability. Now, to those folks that have said that Woody could use his bench better. You’re absolutely right. There’s no reason in the world that Solo shouldn’t be a MAJOR contributor to this team at this point. If Claxton can play, he should be allowed to do so, but keep in mind that that call might not be altogether Woodson’s. His health history might bring other factors into the frey than simply whether he’s able to play or not. As for Acie Law, he was playing A LOT better than he had been at the time of his injury. (I’ve never seen the like of back injuries on one team in my life!)
As for the Hawks in general. The memory of that 13 win season is still fresh in my mind and they have come a long way. Now, granted, it was painful to watch and from time to time it was just plain ugly, but the bottom line is that they have become a good team, not a great one, but a good one, and they’ve done it the right way. They’ve drafted well (maybe not as well as they could have, but well), they’ve traded well, and they’ve brought in key free agents. It’s all come together to where if they can keep the pieces together, this team should be strong for a good long time.
Oh, and for those who thought that not having Josh Childress here would be the end of the world, I have one thing to say, Josh who?