First blood?
The Heat have to be tired of seeing Josh Smith strike this pose!
HAWKSVILLE - We haven’t seen any in this Hawks-Heat series yet, but I can’t imagine we’ll make it another four quarters without it.
Someone has to draw first blood.
And I don’t mean the kind that comes from an accidental scratch on someone’s arm or a stray pass that cracks a guy in the mouth and causes a trickle off the side of mouth, Dracula style.
I’m talking about blood produced by a good ol’ fashioned, wicked “hard foul” served up playoff style (I keep seeing Heat backup center and wrestling superstar in waiting Jamaal Magloire in the middle of the scrum). My gut tells me we’re going to see one tonight in Game 2 at Philips Arena.
That said, no one is interested in cheap shots. That’s not at all what I’m talking about. But sooner or later you figure someone is going to catch someone else with a clean blow that draws blood (the Hawks have already handled that, figuratively, by dotting the Heat’s eye with that 26-point whippin’ Sunday night in Game 1) and the sight of that plasma will serve to inspire someone to play above and beyond their pay grade.
Forget that yarn about a series not really starting until the home team loses on its own floor. A good playoff series doesn’t start until someone gets clocked upside the head and the blood boils on both sides
There has to be some genuine disdain for each other for teams to compete at the required level to win in the postseason (the Hawks had to get their noses bloodied, figuratively, in Boston twice last year before standing up to the schoolyard bully of the league. I’m sure you remember Zaza Pachulia’s nose-to-nose with Kevin Garnett).
A slower, more physical and much more deliberate style in this series would certainly benefit the Heat, even with the great Dwyane Wade on their side. Because they showed Sunday night that allowing the Hawks, namely Josh Smith, to get to the rim unabated is bad business.
The Hawks are prepared for the increase in hand-to-hand combat. They noticed a spike in Game 1, after their lead reached 20 points and kept climbing after halftime. But that was just an appetizer for a Pat Riley-run production.
“We’re going to be ready for whatever comes our way,” Smith said. “We’re certainly not going to back down to anybody. We never have. And we’re a physical team, too.”
We’ll find out just how physical tonight, because the Heat’s goon squad will be deployed before they allow the Hawks to run wild again.
SOUTH FLORIDA REPORT
Our friends from greater Miami have been hard at work digging into the psyche of the Heat since their Game 1 meltdown and the results have been interesting (fingers have been pointed at everyone).
Miami Herald columnist Israel Gutierrez spotlighted two guys I think could sway the Heat’s fortunes in this series if they find a groove.
Palm Beach Post columnist Greg Stoda touched on Wade’s strange, second-half disappearance in Game 1, a complete departure for the league’s leading scorer. Don’t expect an encore.
Sun-Sentinel columnist Dave Hyde has two nice hits, one on “Udonis Beasley” and another on the unique connection between Al Horford and his father Tito Horford.
LAY OFF THE YOUNG FELLA
Being the keen observer of player development that I am, I’ve noticed the similarity in the way Michael Beasley is viewed, treated and examined by folks in Miami and the way Josh Smith was, is and continues to be viewed, treated and examined around here.
And it’s the same foolishness being mistaken for true player development around the league. The last time I checked, the Heat picked Beasley because they were in the lottery and not the other way around.
The fact is, when you spend all your time focusing on what a guy does that you don’t like, you conveniently ignore all the things they do well. And Beasley’s a marvelous offensive talent with an ability to both score and rebound at an incredibly high rate when he’s allowed to just play. But judging from his season stats and all the stuff written about his up and down rookie year, you’d think he was some project instead of one of the best pure talents to come out of the draft in recent years.
All this hand-wringing being done over Beasley’s immaturity, supposedly on and off the floor, is a colossal waste of time. The Heat would be better off letting the young fella play a little bit and correcting his mistakes constructively while also benefiting from the unique blend of skills he brings to their team (a team, mind you, that was in dire need of all of the above this time a year ago).
But instead, in true NBA fashion, folks are busy trashing the kid’s name, game and reputation in the name of “breaking him down to build him back up.” I know that routine and the dues-paying system that is supposed to be in place. And like I always have, I think it stinks.
That’s also why I love what Thunder general manager Sam Presti is doing with his youngsters in Oklahoma City. Sure, there’s plenty Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook have to to learn. Allowing them to do it in an environment where they can play to their potential and through their mistakes is much more sound in the long run than that “old school” approach. The Thunder’s method should be the blueprint and the rule rather than the exception.
SELLOUT BLUES …
Much has been made about the Hawks’ spirited campaign to sell out tonight’s game, and for good reason. The Hawks rarely get the national stage to themselves, so when they do, they want to make a good impression.
And for the record, Sunday’s crowd in Game 1 was fantastic. But there’s cache with a packed-to-the-rafters arena that the Hawks simply cannot claim on a consistent basis. Our esteemed friend and blog regular Stoned Mountain (he doesn’t post as much but he emails me with his thoughts regularly) offered up his own view of the Hawks’ predicament a few minutes ago. I’ll leave you with his thoughts (which are sure to be controversial to some):
Interesting that the Hawks don’t sell out, and in fact don’t get talked about much. The reason is pretty straight forward, I think.
What the Hawks do best is not crowd pleasing here.
At the game Sunday I found myself the only person around me applauding defense – grabbing rebounds, steals, forcing the opponent to exhaust the shot clock. Team work ain’t a big hit here. The only thing that interrupted their chatter was the occasional Josh dunk. Hitting 3’s gets polite applause but not ovations. They get a little excited at a steal and break away, mostly because they think a dunk is coming.
Not ’til late in the game, when the verdict is in doubt, do they get animated.
Certain teams get them excited – the Celtics and Kobe and LeBron.
But DWade and his sidekicks don’t do it.
Not a basketball town.
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504 comments Add your comment
SouthAfrican09
April 23rd, 2009
4:02 pm
To anyone who thinks Smoove is a good MAN DEFENDER,, watch this clip at 1:20.
Smoove is only good at help defense and transition.
God his defense against Beasley is pathetic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HnpRn3QAlA
?????
April 23rd, 2009
4:14 pm
SouthAfrican09- What is your problem? Smith is avg 20ppg and 10rpg. He has been the best player for the Hawks. Yet you only want to talk about his mistakes. JJ had 0 assists and the Hawks lost because of his selfish shots in the 4th. Bibby was wide open at the 3pt line twice when JJ told 2 terrible shots late in the game. Flip Murray was terrible as was JJ but it is all about Josh. The question you need to be asking is why was Josh by hisself when he pushed Maglore. Where were the rest of the Hawks because everyone from Miami came. When your center is leading you in assists you usually won’t win. Sorry, because let you tell if the Hawks won by five they would of automatically won game 2. It is easy to spot the unathletic frauds that sit behind a keyboard and be critical of these players. I wonder what your job evaluations are like at your gig.
Al
April 23rd, 2009
4:18 pm
Damn question mark man. That was harsh.
Melvin
April 23rd, 2009
4:33 pm
SouthAfrican09,
so are you saying that Bibby played/have been playing great defense? If not, then should you have the same gripe with him? Give me Josh anyday of the week. He plays hard every nite. Does he make some mistakes, sure. However his positives outweight his negatives collectively.
SouthAfrican09
April 23rd, 2009
4:49 pm
???????,
Josh Smith is one of the most retarded players BBIQ-wise. If you can’t see this, you are a moron. Since you can’t reveal your true name on here, nothing you say merits my attention. Besides, everyone knows Josh Smith is an idiot. Even Sekou
Al
April 23rd, 2009
4:52 pm
Hm. And your true name is SouthAfrican09? Your parents must have had a great sense of humor.
Smith is good. My dad said so.
Astro Joe
April 23rd, 2009
4:55 pm
Ken wants to give some of Smith’s minutes to Othella Hunter or Solomon Jones. Smith must not be that good.
SouthAfrican09
April 23rd, 2009
4:57 pm
Al
I’m proud of my heritage. Your name is is so original, by the way.
SouthAfrican09
April 23rd, 2009
5:11 pm
Melvin,
No.
PaulWinchester
April 23rd, 2009
5:20 pm
I agree that the NBA would prefer to see D-Wade vs LaBron James than Joe Johnson vs LaBron in the next round. I also believe that the NBA wants the Cleveland Caviliers to make it to the finals to play against the Lakers so you will ultimately have the matchup Kobe Bryant vs LaBron James in the finals. Believe me, David Stern wants these matchups. The only problem is that you have an Atlanta Hawks team that know how to win and is talented enough to go all the way. So if the Hawks are hungry enough, they can foul up Sterns wishes and make the finals this season. Go Hawks!
Al
April 23rd, 2009
5:23 pm
SouthAfrican, I wasn’t talking about your heritage at all. I’ve only met very nice, cool, and fun Africans in my life. It was just amusing that you called someone out for not using their real name on an anonymous blog. My real name is actually pretty original, which is annoying at times, but Al is my nickname.
Though I see your point somewhat. Both of our names are better than ???????. What are you, the Riddler?
Al
April 23rd, 2009
5:30 pm
Anyway, back to basketball, my gut tells me this series is going the full 7. I’m assuming the Hawks will be able to steal one back in Miami and I’m assuming both teams hold their home court in games 5 and 6. Though I think its also a very big possibility the Heat is able to hold serve in games 3 and 4. Then we should be able to take it in 6.
keepin it real
April 23rd, 2009
5:34 pm
wow im might have changed my mind but i know heat gonna beat hawks
keepin it real
April 23rd, 2009
5:42 pm
no al,jus listen to hawk fans they dont know what to think right now they are second guessing everything,coach has tried everything and the only answer i keep coming up with is playoff is different than reg season,much more half court if u cant shoot 45% or better usually u lose if other team hot,u cant double wade with hot shooters, you cant single cover him either,woody is facing same problem other coaches face pick ur posion. hawks r to friendly on offense and have no clear cut go to guy down the stretch
Najeh Davenpoop
April 23rd, 2009
5:43 pm
How come there is a different Josh Smith-hater on this blog every month, and they all say the same thing for the time they are here, and then vanish as quickly as they come?
Yesterday was an exception, but in the vast majority of games, Josh Smith’s positives far outweigh his negatives. I expect that to hold true for the rest of the games in these playoffs as well.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 23rd, 2009
5:43 pm
I think this series is going 6. If the Heat win both games in Miami I think they take it in 6. If the Hawks win both in Miami I think they win in 5. If they split the games in Miami — like I think they will — I think whoever wins Game 5 will win Game 6 as well.
keepin it real
April 23rd, 2009
5:49 pm
that a big problem too y’all living off last year’last year u protect home court vs boston this year you already lose homecourt,but some seem to think hawks have talent to go all the way,NOT GONNA HAPPEN plus your bench is garbage where’s the bench,but i guess everybody bench looks strong on a lay-up drill,and zaza does turn the ball over jus start counting from 5 backward once he touch ball
keepin it real
April 23rd, 2009
5:57 pm
wasnt boston #1 seed playing a 8 seed atlanta, so what did u have to lose by taken boston to a game 7,but this year PRESSURE bust a pipe hawks will fold,hawks have strong starting 5 but also terrible shooter at time andim still waiting on this dynamic bench they supposed to have speedy,flip,mo mario,smooove,zaza,did i leave anybody out if they played for ant team besides hawks you would c what im talking bout
Samuel
April 23rd, 2009
5:57 pm
My thoughts on the game:
1) DWade was in a zone. I don’t care who you put on him, I wasn’t to be denied last night. We were behind so we need points too. Mario West may have done a better job on defense but we needed points.We know he (Wade)is capable of having those type games but probably not the whole series. I hope.
2) Freethrows killed us. there is no excuse for a good team to shoot 63% from the line on any level. I was afraid this would happen and it did. Josh I can understand but JJ, unexcusable.
3) JJ is really not showing up when we need him most.
4) The Heat were just hot last night. We didn’t play the greatest of defense either. We doubled down too much leaving Cook and Chalmers open.
5) JO had a great game. I don’t believe he will be consistant.
6) I believe we will win one on this road trip. JJ will come through.
Al
April 23rd, 2009
6:01 pm
Najeh, if I’m not mistaken you were talking about bringing a broom to Game 2. Now you’re thinking the Hawks are gonna come down to Miami for Game 6 and close out D-Wade on our home floor? No way. I don’t feel like the Hawks can win in Miami but at the same time, I feel like my team has been inconsistent after big wins sometimes. It depends on how well Spo, Wade, Haslem can keep the young guys focused. But there’s no way the Hawks win a Game 6 in Miami, no matter what the score is. I know that.
darrell starks
April 23rd, 2009
7:13 pm
THE HAWKS WILL NOT WIN ON THE ROAD ITS LIKE THERE IN ANOTHER WORLD WHEN IT COMES TO PLAYING ON THE ROAD. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
April 23rd, 2009
7:36 pm
“I don’t feel like the Hawks can win in Miami ”
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore;_ylt=Aib6I5dsq9wfjg4vmu6pLqkCPaB4?gid=2008121214
I didn’t actually bring brooms to Game 2, just for the record. I thought it was pretty obvious that comment wasn’t entirely serious.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 23rd, 2009
8:02 pm
Looks like the Hawks recognize what they need to do going forward in this series — focus on clamping down on Wade’s teammates.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AiHXE6qfd.vRe2pJXMsLlHW8vLYF?slug=ap-heat-wadeshelpers&prov=ap&type=lgns
Najeh Davenpoop
April 23rd, 2009
8:05 pm
Don’t know if the system ate my last comment, but anyway… it looks like the Hawks realize what they need to do going forward in this series — clamp down on Wade’s supporting cast.
O'brien
April 23rd, 2009
8:56 pm
“After Wednesday’s loss, Hawks coach Mike Woodson was adamant about not double teaming Heat star Dwyane Wade, who shredded his team’s defense for 33 points, including 13-straight points at the end of the second quarter.
Even after a halftime debate about the possibility of bringing another defender over to shadow Wade, as the Heat did to Johnson throughout his foul-plagued night, Woodson decided against it.
“You have to expect Wade to make some shots,” Woodson said. “And he made some [3-pointers] with guys hanging on him. I refuse to double that far out on the floor and expose us down low.”
Okay bloggers, I’ve never coached anything in my life, but when a guy is that hot like Wade was in the first half, dont you have to make an adjustment at half time? To me, thats just another example of Woody being stubborn!
And he’s double standard, because you would expect JJ t make shots too, but the double team was working, and JJ sucked (0 assists, 4 TO’s). So why not double Wade after half time?
Volman
April 23rd, 2009
9:37 pm
My 20 minute tirade directed at “Al” was eaten by this AJC system.
Al, you’re very lucky that it was. Not going to waste my time doing it again, however.
Go Hawks.
Lacsho
April 23rd, 2009
10:06 pm
Whatz Good Volman, I know I’m late but my condolences go out to you and your family. I’m glad to see you back in the mix of things.
I wish Arthur Blank would’ve bought the Hawks. Man the falcons really have their act together. They will be playing in the Superbowl soon. THeir management group is excellent.
Back to Hawksville, O’brien I agree with you. You have to make an adjustment when a player is on fire. I’m from the old school; I would’ve sent a goon in to put wade on his back. Does anyone remember my man Esteban Batista. That’s who we miss right now lol.
I forgot who mentioned this, but they were absolutely correct about JSmoove. I like the way he got at Magloire. Everyone knows Magloire’s Miami’s goon for hire.
I have to give props to another blogger. I think he stated the playoffs will expose your weakness, and at this point Woody and our bench are being exposed.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 23rd, 2009
10:24 pm
As far as Woody and adjustments are concerned, I agree with him that double teaming wouldn’t have been the right thing to do in that situation, because as late as the Hawks were rotating to other defenders already they would have just been even slower and might not have even been able to pull within 5 in the 4th quarter. The mistake he made was relying on Flip, Mo, and other similarly-sized players to guard Wade for so long. When Wade started to heat up in the 2nd Woody should have put Marvin or Josh on him, so that he would have had a longer arm in his face and a more obstructed line of sight at the basket.
Ken Strickland
April 23rd, 2009
10:30 pm
ASTRO JOE-I’m really surprised at you. If Bibby was Miami’s PG, do you really think Spoelstra would be stupid enough to play him 35-40mins a gm, then expect DWade to guard the opposing PG and still lead the NBA in scoring? The DEF we played last night not only did nothing to contain DWade, it did nothing to contain his supporting cast.
Coaching has a much bigger impact in the playoffs than during the regular season, and last nights turnaround proved that. Woodson had a very good plan for the 1st playoff gm. But, he had absolutely nothing to offer when Miami made the necessary adjustments to what we did in that 1st gm. He simply rode his pregame strategy all the way to defeat. and apparently that pregame strategy didn’t include double teams, pressing, forcing the issue and playing uptempo or switching DEF strategy.
YOU CAN BE AS SARCASTIC AS YOU WANT, BUT IT WON’T CHANGE THE FACT WE GOT OUT COACHED AND OUT PLAYED, AND AS A RESULT, WE GOT WHIPPED.
Melvin
April 23rd, 2009
11:18 pm
Ken, Ditto. I guess Woody was doing his best Nique impression by waiting for DWade to “Shoot his Wad”… To make no adjustments when Miami kept running the same play with success was insane. He gamble and we lost…
However, I wont panic because if we learn anything about this Hawks team. They seem to rise to the occassion when needed. They will win at least 1 out 2 games in Miami.
These Heat fans can talk all they want. Their team play a good game and didn’t miss many shots last night. But the Hawks still had a chance to win the game after shooting 44% from the floor and 30% from 3pt line and 63% from free throw line and Joe sitting the entire 3qtr with 4 fouls. Can the Heat win if DWade sit for an entire qtr? Let alone be competitive with the same odds the Hawks experience. You know yall can’t. Besides you all lost by almost 30pts with DWade in game 1… GameOn… Lets Go Hawks.
Volman
April 23rd, 2009
11:31 pm
Lacsho, you are the man. I appreciate it. Life pretty much sucks right now but like I said before, a blog like this and things like the Hawks’ games can take me away for a little bit at least…
Ken, I am going to have to agree with you for the most part. I will say, that Mario Chalmers really did not do ANYTHING in game 2. I cannot believe that Woody said that one comment in the post game press conference, “We set up a defense, but we really DO NOT KNOW IF IT WILL WORK OR NOT IN THE GAME”. Are you kidding me? They are setting up schemes that they do not even know if it will work on the opposing team or not.
That quote shocks me.
kwooden1
April 23rd, 2009
11:55 pm
JJ hasn’t been talking about this, but I think he’s taken to heart that everyone is talking about how good Wade is and not him. He want’s to shut down Wade, which I like a lot, but he’s pressing a bit on the offensive side. I think he needs to concentrate on beating the double teams that come his way. He can’t have another game with 0 assists and expect for the HAWKS to win a game.
I’m really getting the feeling that the last game might be the catalyst for the HAWKS developing an identity on offensive. I’m not saying Woody has a system, but I think they might start believing in the sets he runs. JJ might finally realize how important it is to pass quickly when doubled. If the rest of the guys believe he’s going to pass they will start moving into open positions.
MannyT
April 24th, 2009
12:45 am
Sure we need to mix up the defense on Wade. Sometimes that means pulling out the Chuck Daly book and keep running players at him until he gives up the ball…i.e. Jordan Rules.
At other times, I say we make sure that we are choking the offensive life out of the other 4 Heat players. That could mean putting Bibby or Flip (or Mario) on Wade and not helping unless he gets to the lane.
If he were healthier, I’d consider having Marvin guard him. With a bad back, I’m not sure he would keep up enough to disrupt Wade.
Sometimes Joe or Mo guards him. We have options. I doubt that the twisting, banked 3 pt shot is something that Wade relies on as a part of his attacking offense.
BWAF
MannyT
April 24th, 2009
12:46 am
newkid, in the old days, a guy like that would transfer to a private school for HS. I wonder why he stayed a a local school that has problems in a league that he doesn’t see as competitive? I am not hating on him for wanting to make money, but I sure hope his brother is a capable guardian for an 18 year old in Spain with more cash than he has ever had before.
Ken Strickland
April 24th, 2009
1:11 am
VOLMAN-I can understand what Woodson meant when he said you don’t know if a DEF that you set up will work or not in a gm. However, that doesn’t mean you sit on your butt the entire gm and do nothing when you realize it isn’t working. Have you noticed how drastically Smoove’s shot blocking has fallen off since we started using this switching DEF exclusively? It’s because too often our BIGs end up at or above the freethrow line trying to defend against guards. When they get beaten, which happens too often, our guards are left to defend the basket. That’s why Bibby, JJ, Evans and Flip end up taking so many deliberate fouls under the basket. It also makes it more difficult to outlet the ball and initiate fastbreaks when your guards are under the basket.
darrell starks
April 24th, 2009
2:23 am
This is what i would do to make adjustment whom ever the best player on the floor at big guard smallforward or powerforward well in this case it would be D WADE i would put josh smith on them and move marvin to powerforward this is the playoffs so you have to do things different as a coach sense D WADE is the best player let JOSH SMITH guard him and let marvin play powerforward. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Big Ray
April 24th, 2009
4:39 am
Astro Joe,
Oh, so we’re NOT better than Miami? What happened to the fan who, shrouded in his self-righteousness, told us after the game 1 victory that you knew how good this team was all along, and how the rest of us should join you in believing in them? What happened to that “good feeling” you had before the game? Did you “feel” this loss coming? Come on, man! I gotta know which bandwagon I’m supposed to be on!
On a more serious note, you’re right, which Hawks player had a good game besides Smith? That’s the point, and part of the problem. Ironic that the one guy who’s head you’d like to dance on the most, happens to also be the guy who is arguably doing his job better than anybody else. The better question is: who should be having a good game, and WHY AREN’T they?
Oh….because this team is flawed. Last I looked, every team is flawed. Some just have fewer flaws than others. And guess what? Some teams know how to mask their weaknesses and exploit those of their opponents. Of course, that has more to do with coaching than anything else. And we all know our problem isn’t coaching in any way whatsoever….it’s just those flawed players.
As for Wade’s supporting cast, NONE of them have had great games. They’ve just had “good enough” performances in game 2. Cook scored 20, O’Neal had 19. Hardly mind-blowing numbers. What if next time you’re right, and O’Neal and Cook don’t shoot as well….but Beasley, Chalmers, and Jones DO. Then what? Again, figuring that they (or others) won’t continue to play “good enough” is foolhardly. And if the Hawks themselves think that way, they’ll get whipped again.
The supporting cast has to be held in check. Period. You seem to be a proponent of “KILLA DEFENSE.” I agree. But it doesn’t work if you’re out there thinking “oh, they can’t possibly keep this up for too much longer”….as they drain shot after shot…which is precisely what happened in game 2. Well, besides the players not making in-game adjustments. Poor flawed souls that they are….
Sorry, but I disagree. I think we’re better than Miami. Hence us having won more games. Hence us having a higher seed. That’s not to say that we can’t lose to them. But we are more talented. Go ahead. Tell me I’m wrong. It’s just an opinion. But I think we’re better. We just have to perform like it.
Ken Strickland,
The players didn’t rotate properly, and Josh Smith was the guy to come out and say so. However, you are correct about in-game adjustments. You’re also right about coaching having an even heavier impact in the playoffs. I get tired of these discussions though, because the minute you talk about a coach not making adjustments, the first thing you hear from the “coach is never wrong” society is “It’s all about the players!” This gets old. You begin to wonder what point there is in having a coach when it’s always the players’ fault for everything that goes wrong….
Najeh,
Josh isn’t playing perfect by a long stretch, but uhhh…averaging 20 and 10 in the playoffs so far (and shooting 61% from the field). Huh. If he’s dumb, sucks, and all that…then what does that make the OTHER guys?
I’m still waiting for Joe Johnson to show up. He’s having a rough series so far. Is it Joe? Is it Miami’s defensive schemes? What is it? Don’t know. But any Josh detractor looks pretty stupid right now. Yes, he’s turning the ball over and making bad plays here and there. Joe’s doing it even more than he is, while shooting nearly 20% less from the field.
And I’m not encouraging any Joe bashing. I want him to perform better in the worst way. We need that from him.
O’Brien,
All I’m going to say is I have yet to see a leopard change it’s spots, much less overnight. We’ll see….
Astro Joe
April 24th, 2009
8:13 am
Ray, I whole-heartedly believe that we will have 3 guys step up in 3 games before Miami does the same. We will win the series. My good feeling was specifically related to Game 1. All I’m saying is the very nature of a 4-5 match-up is that the teams are genearlly evenly matched.
And based on the comments on this blog for the first 79 games, one may have thought we were fighting for the 8th seed.
dap01
April 24th, 2009
8:23 am
i wish that the Hawks had someone like Thomas Dimitroff. Someone who you knew would steer the Hawks in the right direction. Does anyone out there have similar confidence in the past and present management of the Hawks?
Perhaps Sund will hit a home run or two this offseason.
Perhaps he will start with a coach.
SouthAfrican09
April 24th, 2009
8:52 am
darrell starks, besides having to read your post 30 times till I understood what you read, I disagree completely. Putting Smoove on Wade is an invitation for disaster. Smoove will let Wade right by him on every play. I know somebody will post the GW block on Wade from last year, but Smoove is an awful man defender.
Watch at 1:20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HnpRn3QAlA
Melvin
April 24th, 2009
10:04 am
Cut and paste my post below from Sekou blog last nite. Take that, take that Ando…
However, I wont panic because if we learn anything about this Hawks team. They seem to rise to the occassion when needed. They will win at least 1 out 2 games in Miami.
These Heat fans can talk all they want. Their team play a good game and didn’t miss many shots last night. But the Hawks still had a chance to win the game after shooting 44% from the floor and 30% from 3pt line and 63% from free throw line and Joe sitting the entire 3qtr with 4 fouls. Can the Heat win if DWade sit for an entire qtr? Let alone be competitive with the same odds the Hawks experience. You know yall can’t. Besides you all lost by almost 30pts with DWade in game 1… GameOn… Lets Go Hawks.
doc
April 24th, 2009
10:05 am
aj, i just hope there are three hawks in uniform that believe as strongly as you do and perform like it. they didnt in game two, simple as that nor did the coach do something dramatic to get his point across like subbing in solo and mario early on to get his point across to what level of desire the team has to play with.
we havent “lost” the home advantage yet. that is only good for the last game in a series of seven. yes the team has to win a game on the road but it is truly rare that two evenly matched teams, which these are, can run the tables at home. we saw the unusual last year with the hawks and the c’s but in the end we saw what the home court advantage means in game seven. if we dont win down there, and who didnt think us capable of doing so before the series started, we deserve to lose in six; especially after the way the team came out life less in game two at home. the same disease that struck us can strike miami just as hard as they have the same type of youth on the bench as we do. they do have two seasoned guys more than we do in undonis and jon in the starting line up along side a guy who may try to be jordanesque if we let him.
now, bring it on. go hawks!
O'brien
April 24th, 2009
10:21 am
A lot of pundits had the Bulls winning at home last night, but the Celtics jumped on them early, and never looked back. The Bulls rookie coach reminds me a little of Woody. Del Negro has no offensive system, mismanages timeouts, and at the end of game 2, he called a timeout twice to set up a play, and everybody knew the play was get the ball to Ben Gordon, and get out of the way (our iso JJ).
Back to the Hawks. I hope the Hawks can get off to a good start in game 3, because trying to catch up on the road is tough, espeically when DWade will probably get even more calls (if the game is close).
It willl be interesting to see what adjustments Woody makes for game 3. The Heat coach made an adjustment for game 2, and now it’s Woody’s turn.
I think the Hawks will win one in Miami.
shocked
April 24th, 2009
10:42 am
South African 09 Maybe I was the only fool who actually went and watched your clip. I want to be clear so you use one play to identify someone as a terrible defender. So when Dwade destroyed everyone in the Hawks backcourt were they also terrible defenders. Like Ray said Smith is avg 20ppg,10rpg and 61fg%. Beasley is shootin 37fg%, 11ppg and 8.5rpg. Haslem is shooting 63fg%,avg 8ppg and 6rpg. Smith is doing as well as their combined value. Reading your comments you act like he should be on the bench. Maybe you have another 5 second clip that will explain away these facts.
Reality
April 24th, 2009
10:48 am
What did I tell you guys?
My screen name is not an accident. I said that Wade and the Heat would fully bounce back…and they did…and some.
Yall called me crazy, delusional for even thinking he Heat still had a chance. Nobody here knows this Heat team better than myself or Al. We are resilient as they come….and inconsistent.
Sunday, the Hawks beat the Heat playing Hawks basketball. On Wednesday, the Heat beat the Hawks playing Heat basketball.
Now the series moves into Miami.
It’s far from over, anything can happen. That’s what I was telling you guys…no matter how lopsided game 1 was, YOU CANNOT WRITE OFF A SERIES AFTER 1 GAME. Cmon.
The key to game 3: Tempo. Whichever team dictates the tempo of the game will have a great shot at winning. If the Heat force the Hawks to play half-court basketball again, they will win.
By the way, I WILL BE ATTENDING GAME 3!!!!! Black is Back. The AAA will be electric on Saturday.
Heat in 6.
Melvin
April 24th, 2009
10:57 am
SouthAfrican09, i been reading this blog since it begun. I’m not sure how long you been on this blog but I can assure you this. If you think you are going to come on this blog to trash Josh Smith, then you will findout that he has alot of supporters/fans and they are more than willing to defend him. So you better be ready for backlash to your Josh bashing statements…
Reality
April 24th, 2009
11:00 am
Also no offense, but the atmosphere will be a lot crazier at the AAA than Philips. Everyone is going to be in black and rowdy. I expect the Heat to come out with tons of energy and passion, fueling and feeding off the crowd. Can’t wait!
Look for the a Heat fan holding up a “hawk sandwhich”. I’ve got a toy hawk, and 2 fake large sesame seed buns. I will be on TV pretending to eat it.
Melvin
April 24th, 2009
11:04 am
Welcome back Reality. I can respect a Fan for sticking with their team thru wins/losses (unlike keepin it real). Yall played a good game on Wednesday. Make sure you come back to the blog with a report from game 3 with a perspective that we may not see on TV….
Game On…
Reality
April 24th, 2009
11:09 am
Melvin, thanks, and will do!
After Wednesday, the series became a series. That is all…for now.
Astro Joe
April 24th, 2009
11:14 am
doc, how many times did Spirit do his job successfully? I understand benching the little guy during the playoffs… the bright lights were too much for our fine-feathered friend. But he seems to be a very good regular-season performer. You season-ticketholders weigh in. I think they’re throwing the bird under the bus.
Spirit = MOY (Mascot of the Year)