No Marvin, no cry!
The Hawks won't have Marvin Williams to lean on.
MIAMI - The Hawks survived 16 games late in the regular-season without Marvin Williams.
Now it’s time to see if they can go the next 48 minutes or so without him.
The Hawks’ starting small forward has a soft black cast on his right wrist, inadvertently matching the American Airlines Arena crowd in their “Black is Back” get up for Game 3 in this first round playoff series.
A nasty fall late in the third quarter of Wednesday’s Game 2 loss to the Heat at Philips Arena will cost Williams this game for sure. There’s no indication of how much time he’ll miss altogether. That hasn’t been made clear as of yet.
Believe it or not, there are more pressing issues for the Hawks right now.
Whether or not the Hawks get overwhelmed by the Heat and this atmosphere that is off the charts crazy right now remains to be seen.
But know this, their road to winning this series has taken a drastic turn without Williams and with Dwyane Wade and his crew feeling the proverbial heat (a cheap one I know, but I couldn’t help myself).
And if you think Game is going to be tough, Game 4 Monday night is going to be dang near impossible, because everyone down here in South Florida is going sense that it’s just a matter of time before the Heat wins this series.
While it’s far from over, this is not the kind of atmosphere (18-4 and counting right now in favor of the Heat) the Hawks could afford to falter in, not with their season on the line over the next 72 hours.
Let the venting begin Hawks fans.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
500 comments Add your comment
Rick Sund
April 25th, 2009
10:59 pm
Round 2 will be another EPIC BATTLE between two NBA SUPERSTARS: CAPTAIN JOE JOHNSON and lebron james!! TEAMWORK and DETERMINATION will lead YOUR ATLANTA HAWKS to keep the cavaliers’ margin of victory to less than FORTY POINTS!! The HAWKS FAN BASE is in for some EXCITING BASKETBALL, possibly resulting in WINS!!
O'brien
April 25th, 2009
11:01 pm
The Hawks and some fans didnt think the Heat would shoot this well again. Some didnt think JON would play well again. Were we wrong.
There are some who believe that Woody did a great job this year. I completely disagree. He is getting outcoached by a rookie. Yes, we know the Heat have Dwayne Wade, but we have JJ. And look how the Heat have taken JJ out of the series?
The Heat made adjustments after game 1, and either Woody made no adjustments, or the players are not executing. Maybe the problem is the players, but the truth is, we can’t change players. We can change coaches.
Everyone knows we have no half-court offense. But yet coach refuses to force the tempo. We have no plays to get JJ open shots and we play too much one on one. If we bring Woody back, isn’t it going to be the same thing next season?
Even if the Hawks come back and win this series, I still have no confidence in Woody.
bradsmitty
April 25th, 2009
11:01 pm
Just to add, I think that a lot of the frustration fans are having as a result of these performances is due to the belief that this team could actually be really good, even as it is now. In fact, there have been several glimpses of greatness from this team and this coach.
I know one of the biggest frustrations that I have is seeing them come out like they did in Game 1, or in the game against Orlando at the beginning of the season, or the game against LA at the end of the season, playing so well and looking so dominant. Then, to watch them stink it up as many times and for as many spurts as they have this season.
It isn’t like we’re dealing with Oklahoma City where we can just say, “OK, they’re bad. Maybe they’ll beat a good team every once in a while, but we know they are not a good NBA team.” It’s the potential for being very solid that we see on paper when looking at the players and from watching many of the very good performances, and then suffering through the stinkfests that seem to come far too often.
Rick Sund
April 25th, 2009
11:02 pm
Well our situation in Seattle was different than what is going on in Atlanta. Right now my bosses, whoever they are, have to settle their ownership issues. If great fans like you continue to take advantage of our Chick Fila Family Night or our 4 for 4 deals we will continue to survive. This is why we have to keep WOODY and GOOD COACHES LIKE MARK PRICE. MARVIN IS A MAJOR PRIORITY THIS OFF SEASON. WE SHOCKED THE WORLD THIS YEAR, BUT THIS YEAR WE WILL OWN IT!!
Rick Sund
April 25th, 2009
11:04 pm
I’m still SHOCKED that Al Horford didn’t win ROOKIE OF THE YEAR!! By this time next year, he will have mastered DRIBBLING IN THE POST and SHOOTING THE TEN-FOOTER!! Heck, his REBOUNDS-TO-TRAVELING RATIO has really improved under ZAZA’S MENTORSHIP!!
Rick Sund
April 25th, 2009
11:04 pm
CORRECTION WE SHOCKED THE WORLD LAST YEAR, BUT THIS YEAR WE WILL OWN IT!!
Matt Staffy
April 25th, 2009
11:05 pm
Man if we played on the road all year like we did against Boston in Boston in November (1 pt loss, Pierce GW) we’d be owning this series now. We nearly won that game without Smoove and an injured Horf.
GO HAWKS
WHO DIED......?
April 25th, 2009
11:07 pm
i like wade over lebron any day of the week, better jumper, better d,and alway defend bigger players not small ones like lebron,but i’ll take kobe over any of’em,did u see wade get up on some of those block, like zaza and 6′7 joe johnson in the corner, not the from the back sh*t lebron make top 10 play for everynite,wade will get up with whoever and block their shot, o yea did i mention more clutch than lebron(who jus hit 1st game winning shot,wut last year)
Rick Sund
April 25th, 2009
11:07 pm
JOSH has the potential to be the next AMARE STOUDAMIRE!! He is already a PURE SHOOTER and GREAT DRIBBLER!! Combine that with his athletic ability and you have QUITE A PLAYER.
Matt Staffy
April 25th, 2009
11:08 pm
Smoove is selfish trash..
Trade his @$$ outta here.
And Wade fouled ZaZa on that layup
hawkman
April 25th, 2009
11:09 pm
Rick Sund, keep your chicken sandwiches,I want a championship team in Atlanta
D.Ellis
April 25th, 2009
11:11 pm
The only thing Josh Smith is good for is handing out slow jerks.
Maybe we can get Greg Paulus to come run us an offense on his days off from Michigan practice
Rick Sund
April 25th, 2009
11:14 pm
We are VERY CLOSE to having a CHAMPIONSHIP in Atlanta in the NEAR FUTURE. All we have to do is make Mo Evans a FRANCHISE PLAYER and continue to develop the LOW-POST THREAT in Solomon Jones. Zaza is still MORE THAN A MATCH for any CENTER in the league, and he’ll continue to lead the NBA in ILLEGAL SCREENS. This team has nowhere to go but UP!!
O'brien
April 25th, 2009
11:16 pm
Sekou,
What were the comments from the Hawks players and coaches after the game?
Nauseated
April 25th, 2009
11:16 pm
I have been converted back to optimism by some of the “real” fans (not to mention the lure of Chik-Fil-A Family Night), and I do not want to be part of the “squish” any longer.
We were THIS close tonight. If it weren’t for a few breaks here and there, we would’ve had ‘em.
It’s tough on the road. At least we fought and gave an effort the fans could be proud of. We were tired and playing without our leader, Marvin Williams.
You can’t win ‘em all. A couple ref calls went against us, and that’s bound to even out in the next game.
I don’t want to be a part-time fan. I want to stand by my team, no matter how much they shame and humiliate me.
I like giving my undying loyalty to such a disciplined group of guys who don’t know the meaning of the word “quit” and a lot of other words, like “double-team” and “ball movement.”
Finally, I also hope the team doesn’t read this blog, because after two straight blowout losses, I don’t want my comments to suggest in any way that they might have played poorly.
Maybe if we say nice things, they won’t know that it didn’t go well, and they will go into Game 4 with a happy feeling.
Go Hawks!
Zaza Olajuwon
April 25th, 2009
11:21 pm
Fear not, Atlanta… I will lead you to victory. Never underestimate the heart of a European!
bradsmitty
April 25th, 2009
11:22 pm
Just read some of the post-game comments. Again, we are hearing the same old stuff. These quotes have been copy/pasted way too many times this season for them to be said yet again in the playoffs.
Smith: “We can’t get out of this mess without doing it together.”
Bibby: “Their energy and effort is better than ours right now.”
Bibby: “We let them hit us first again.”
Woodson: “We just didn’t answer the bell.”
Come on guys. We get it – you know what you’re doing wrong. Now you have to ACTUALLY FIX IT
Terry Stotts
April 25th, 2009
11:22 pm
This team SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rick Sund
April 25th, 2009
11:23 pm
All teams have a tendency to get down when things don’t go right on the road. We have a great deal of youth right now and they are STILL learning how to WIN. With Bibby’s LEADERSHIP and JOE BEING THE OUTSPOKEN person that he is we’ll get ther SOMEDAY.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 25th, 2009
11:23 pm
Watching this game, it was painfully obvious that Mike Woodson reviewed the game tape from Game 2, decided everything the Heat did was a fluke, and reverted to the exact same gameplan in Game 3. The Hawks had the same matchup problems, the same inability to close out on 3 point shooters, and the same difficulties scoring as they did in the previous game.
Among the most obvious flaws:
1. Horford got abused by Jermaine O’Neal all game after getting abused by him in Game 2. He is simply too short and not quick enough to keep up with JO. Woody needs to switch Horford onto the similarly-built Haslem and play Josh Smith on JO. The few times they rolled with this matchup today they played fine. Horford is overmatched in every way by JO, while Josh can at least out-athleticize him. Haslem isn’t the athlete Josh is, but he can out-physical him. Right now this matchup is not working in the Hawks’ favor.
2. They didn’t have much choice today without Marvin, but when they are at full strength they really need to play a taller man on Wade and force him to dribble to his left. Wade is much weaker going left, and the few times they made a concerted effort to make Wade drive to his left today he wasn’t nearly as effective. Get up in his grill, don’t give him an inch to shoot, and make him drive to his left.
3. For the second straight game the Hawks were way, way, WAY too slow closing out on 3 point shooters. I don’t think it’s a huge deal if Wade dominates in single coverage and scores 50. It is, however, a huge deal when you let Miami shoot 60% from the 3 point line. Chalmers, Jones, Cook, etc. simply cannot be given space to put up shots and heat up.
That’s all on Woody to fix. As far as the players are concerned, it’s becoming pretty clear which players on the team have balls and which ones don’t. Mike Bibby, Flip Murray, and Zaza Pachulia came to play today. They may not have played great the whole game, but they gave a commendable effort. They have balls. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith did not come to play today (except for a few minutes in the 3rd quarter), and it’s impossible to win a game in any environment if your two most talented players are not producing. Josh has had problems with consistency through his career, but it’s very, very disappointing to see the team captain completely overmatched throughout the entire game.
The Hawks got murked on the boards today, and it’s mainly because of the matchup issue inside. They got murked from the 3 point line today, and they absolutely have to do a better job closing out. Offensively they haven’t been a very consistent team all year, and that’s not really going to change — they are a team that feeds off their defensive energy, and they have to play great defense in Game 4 in order to have a chance to win.
If the Hawks don’t win Game 4 they are toast in this series. I gotta say, having to rely on Woody making adjustments in order to keep the Hawks’ playoff hopes alive doesn’t give me a good feeling.
doc
April 25th, 2009
11:25 pm
pinoy i had no comment to make beyond the first one, beasley comment was someone else. some comics and cowards on the prowl. good night gentlemen.
Acie Law
April 25th, 2009
11:26 pm
What about me, guys?
Najeh Davenpoop
April 25th, 2009
11:27 pm
And I will say the same thing I said after Game 2. Dwyane Wade is an MVP caliber player and easily the best player in this series, but he is not the reason the Hawks are losing. He can go for 50 every night from here on out and the Hawks can still win if they clamp down on the supporting cast. It is the likes of Jermaine O’Neal, James Jones, Mario Chalmers, and Daequan Cook that are beating the Hawks right now, and it’s entirely in the Hawks’ hands to shut them down.
WHO DIED ......?
April 25th, 2009
11:28 pm
hawks get 13 wins for years ago and since then they have wut 47 wins this year maybe few more,with same cast of players playing together 2 yrs or more,now heat get 15 wins last year and this year they get 43,now you smart hawk fans tell me what wrong with that picture.1st superstar=wade,2nd team not afraid to trade somebody to get the ppl that fit what they trying to do i.e. shaq=when he quit his ass got traded,we didnt keep him b/c he was shaq,and 3rd a new coach wont get a team to play better when they already maxed-out time to break up team while players still have value,b/c the longer the series look like this hawks are being exposed as CHUMPS
Lon Kruger
April 25th, 2009
11:28 pm
I remember these days…
Nauseated
April 25th, 2009
11:30 pm
Seriously, Najeh, that was better insight than I’ve heard from the team all year.
If I could, I’d give you the whistle and the clipboard right now.
WHO DIED ......?
April 25th, 2009
11:32 pm
when will teams learn the more you say WADE cant do this and that, he’s been know over his career to prove naysayers wrong
Mike Woodson
April 25th, 2009
11:32 pm
Insight? Adjustments? Leadership? Are you guys making up words in here?
Najeh Davenpoop
April 25th, 2009
11:33 pm
Whoever is posting under all these fake names deserves a blogressional medal of honor. This is second only to the “Typical Day at the Blog” post in all-time Hawks blog hilarity.
WHO DIED ......?
April 25th, 2009
11:34 pm
thats b/c najeh know when he looks at game he see the truth unlike most in here
LIAM
April 25th, 2009
11:34 pm
HAHA I REMEMBER WHEN GEARON SAID THAT “WE HAVE ARRIVED” AFTER WE BEAT THE LAKERS AT HOME LAST YEAR TO GET TO LIKE 33-39 ON THE SEASON
Da Real Real
April 25th, 2009
11:40 pm
I agree najeh, same exact thing I said right after the game. Coach has to put guys into a position to where they can succeed. I don’t care who you are…if you’re getting doubled, sometimes tripled team all night long you’re going to find it hard to score and that’s JJ’s problem right now. And when he does get open it almost appears like he’s worried that somebody is at least on his back. Woody has to draw up some plays with the guy coming off screens to shake the double team, but coach hasn’t done it all year and I don’t expect him to do it now. JJ also has to recognize that he can’t hold the ball all day and wait for the double team to come as well…
We’ll see what “adjustments” are made.
Nauseated
April 25th, 2009
11:41 pm
Thanks for the vent, guys. Cheaper than downing a bottle of whiskey to get over this game.
I’m going to get some sleep and pretend the game never happened (like some of the other bloggers here, come to think of it).
“Rick Sund”, I bow to your comic genius.
Go Haw…ah, screw it.
LIAM
April 25th, 2009
11:43 pm
THE RICK SUND DUDE HAS ME ROLLIN, LMAO SERIOUSLY CRACKING UP HERE
LIAM
April 25th, 2009
11:46 pm
Rick Sund
April 25th, 2009
10:24 pm
I admire Josh Smith for showing NO FEAR in shooting THIRTY-FIVE FOOTERS: he’s well on his way to being an ALL-STAR, just like CAPTAIN JOE JOHNSON!! Wow, TWO ALL-STARS on one team? I can barely FATHOM all the CHAMPIONSHIPS we’ll win sometime in our LIFETIMES!!
thats my favorite one by far
LIAM
April 25th, 2009
11:49 pm
funny and sad thing for us hawks fans is that the HEAT’s 2nd best offensive player had the worst game of his career tonight and we still lost by 30
if Beasley blows up and starts scoring 20 points per like he did the last month of the year as a huge factor, if he gets his footing its gonna be REALLY embarrasing
i owe an apology to Jermaine Oneal, maybe he isnt really ready to stick a fork into as i said the other day
doc
April 25th, 2009
11:51 pm
i mentioned it erlier that i was not impressed with the body language of beasley and his young cohorts. they cam off the floor looking like they were tired, done and dint want to go back in and this was at the end of the second quarter. will see but they dont look to have the guts to climb back in. yeah, jj was energetic and making some major moves i havent seen since the start of the season. he didnt convert as often as i would expect from him on a good night, he did keep the defense honest to help out the interior guys. team play is where it is at for these guys just like it was for the pistons of late before the changes this year. bibby probably played his best point guard game of the season, hope he continues.
Rick Sund
April 25th, 2009
11:52 pm
We have accomplished our goal! Playoffs with winning record!
Ticketape parade!
Rick Sund
April 25th, 2009
11:52 pm
Gearon came up to me after tonight’s game and would like to be Co-GMs with me! What a great idea!
Marvin Williams
April 25th, 2009
11:53 pm
This summer, I plan to work on my African Studies degree and work out with greats such as Raymond Felton and Sean May. I will get 592 more tattoos and will come back to camp with an even bigger butt and shoes 6 sizes larger.
sam
April 25th, 2009
11:58 pm
did the hawks once hit i mean laimberr or mahorn a heat player going 2 the hoop..nothing but a bunch of overpaid pansies..no leaders..no enforcers..no coach..this guy woodson is the bobby petrino-dennis green of the nba
sam
April 26th, 2009
12:01 am
wheres speedy claxton? ooh every time i see marvin..i think of cp3
Shane
April 26th, 2009
12:02 am
We are a soft basketball team…No one to commit the hard foul. Joe scared to death of complaining to a ref
Harry Hawk
April 26th, 2009
12:19 am
I think of Deron Williams, too.
braveshater
April 26th, 2009
12:20 am
THIS IS PATHETIC. I USED TO BE A JOE JOHNSON FAN MAN, HE’S BREAKING MY HEART, TIME FOR HIM TO GO. HE’S NOT CAPABLE OF LEADING A TEAM ANYWHERE, AND WE GAVE THIS CLOWN 20 MIL IN ONE SEASON. I REFUSE TO SUPPORT SUCH A HEARTLESS ORGANIZATION. PHILLIPS ARENA WILL NEVER BE A DESTINATION OF MINE. GO TD AND THE FALCONS!
braveshater
April 26th, 2009
12:20 am
I HOPE THEY ALL READ THIS BLOG AND REALIZE WHAT THEY ARE.
Big Ray
April 26th, 2009
12:21 am
Kirk,
I hear you. And I agree that our problems are definitely not one-dimensional. But I’d be a liar if I didn’t say that one particular dimension wasn’t workin’ my nerve something fierce. But you’re right. It’s not the whole story by a shot. Here’s to game 4. I think I’m going to need some Rum….
Najeh,
Co-sign what you said. Same thing I said in the Hawks Hack blog. Beat the supporting cast, and you beat the Heat. It’s really that simple. It’s the same thing Philly is doing to Orlando. Wonder how their coach figured it out, but ours…nevermind…
Doc,
Beasley’s head is clearly not in the game, nor is his heart. All that, and they are still beating us like a drum. Embarrassing. Game 4 is a must-win. If we see a dead Hawk out on the pavement, we’ll know it’s an omen…
Pinoy Hawk,
Don’t sweat it. Just didn’t want you to think the wrong thing. As for our offense, we don’t even get the pick and roll right half the time.
I’m still rather angry about this game. Time to get away and calm down. See you guys later.
stendec
April 26th, 2009
1:10 am
Another totally gutless mail-in job from a completely heartless bunch of quitters. Same old uncaring Hawks! Now and forevermore. This from a watcher since the first tip of historic initial Hawk game. So damn sick of it all!
Dante Fitzgerald
April 26th, 2009
1:26 am
Ayo Rick sund… u no if Philips bringin bak dem All u can eat seats? dem seats were fo real. Reply ASAP, mayne… Preciate!
Dante Fitzgerald
April 26th, 2009
1:27 am
Ayo Rick SUnd… u no if Philips doin dat All u can eat seats again? Dem seats was fo real. Reply ASAP mayne….preciate!