The great (leadership) debate
Don't let the turtleneck sweater fool you. John Shaft is a bad man!
MIAMI - Long after his Miami Heat had finished wiping the AmericanAirlines Arena floor with the Hawks Saturday night, Dwyane Wade said something that crystalized the difference between these two playoff combatants.
Asked about the leadership he provides for his team, the Heat superstar described his evolution as a team leader so perfectly, it almost sounded as if a Hollywood script writer had penned the response for him.
“One thing about being a leader is that it’s 24/7, 365 days a year,” Wade said. “It never stops. I was very disappointed with myself in Game 1. I was quiet, and that is not what my team needs. In Game 2 and Game 3 I took it upon myself to make sure that my voice is heard. To drive the points the coaches made and make sure they hear it again before they get on the court.”
You won’t hear anything resembling that from the Hawks. They don’t have a vocal leader in the mold of Wade (they don’t have a player with game like Wade’s either, but we all knew that going into this series). So their won’t be anyone rescuing the Hawks from themselves between now and the start of Monday night’s epically important Game 4 (a third straight loss by the Hawks spells almost certain doom in this series).
All those cliches about leaders being born and not bred don’t register in this case. Leaders emerge in times like this. Leaders rise to the occasion and impose their will in times like this. Leaders of men and leading men are two distinctly different beings in the NBA landscape and beyond.
Wade’s both a leader of men and a leading man. He’s John Shaft (talk about a leader of men and a leading man) in a pair of funky looking shoes and without the sideburns. There are a handful of Shafts in the NBA these days (Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, DWade, Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce come to mind with others floating in and out of the Shaftosphere). The mettle required of your team leader in the playoffs isn’t hard to spot. And Hawks’ captain and All-Star Joe Johnson has yet to show if he has it in him in this series.
The contrast between his demeanor Sunday and that of Wade over the past few days was striking. Wade vowed to revive his crew after that humiliating, 26-point loss in Game 1 and has done exactly that with two backbreaking efforts since then. Johnson didn’t sound a similar alarm Sunday when asked if he was ready to do it himself, speaking in terms of “we” and “us” when it’s clear that he has to pick up the mantle and carry his team back to even in this series.
“We’ve just got to grow up, man,” Johnson said, his voice trailing off with every word. “We hit a little adversity and now it’s as if we’re out of it. But we have to think positive the rest of the way. You’ve just got to believe. And we have to put it in the guys who have never been in this situation and we have to make them believe we can do this. We have to keep talking to them and keep putting confidence into them.”
The words are fine, but in the playoffs a man can only be judged by his actions.
Two of these guys will face off in the next round and the third will get to watch it from home.
AND NOW, A MOMENT OF SILENCE for the Detroit Pistons.
James and his Cavaliers tossed the last shovel of dirt on a deceased Eastern Conference behemoth Sunday afternoon at the Palace of Auburn Hills, sweeping the Pistons out of the playoffs in four games.
It’s only fitting that the Cavaliers did the honors, seeing as how they were the first team expose the flaws of the once-mighty Pistons (in the Eastern Conference finals a couple years ago). The interesting thing going forward is what direction the Pistons go with their rebuilding project.
They’ll have plenty of cap space now that the Allen Iverson deal/fiasco is finally over. I suspect Pistons boss Joe Dumars has a plan mapped out already, and there’s no doubt it includes some big names (wish I knew which ones).
It’s certainly going to make this summer a bit more intriguing come July 1, when free agency begins. It’s supposed to be a sleepy summer with everyone waiting on the 2010 free agent crop. But why wait when you can make a splash now?
THE MORNING AFTER GOING DOWN 2-1 IN A PLAYOFF SERIES might seem like an odd time to have a players’ only team meeting, but Hawks coach Mike Woodson gave the session his blessing after the Hawks’ Sunday practice.
”They’ll meet today and try to figure out some things amongst them,” Woodson said. “For me, from a coaching standpoint, this is not the time for me to scream and yell and curse guys out. We’re right where we need to be. We just have to figure out [Monday] night’s game.”
Secret meetings? Josh Smith and the Hawks are pulling out all the stops to get back into this series.
Johnson didn’t give up the particulars of the time or place and barely acknowledged that any meeting would be taking place. Sorting out whatever internal issues they need to before Game 4 is an excellent idea. Because if it’s going to take a secret meeting to get the Hawks back to playing like they did in Game 1, so be it (no one wants to see one-sided blowouts in the playoffs, well I don’t).
”We beat them pretty bad in Game 1, and they beat us pretty bad in Game 3,” Josh Smith said Sunday. So we’re even. We just have to look at ourselves as individuals and as teammates and come together with a solution. There has to be a philosophy where we have each other’s back. In Game 2 it was a hostile environment in Atlanta, it was just them and the crowd. They played together and everything clicked. They had fun. We have to do the same thing.
”Our backs are against the wall. What are we made of? Are we going to fold and let them win, or do we step up and show them this is going to be a series and turn it around?
WOODSON WAS IN FULL SPIN MODE Sunday, casting the Heat as the veteran crew with all the playoff seasoning and his bunch (everyone knows the Hawks are youngest team in the Eastern Conference postseason field) as the “underdogs” according to my man Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.
When asked about the Heat’s supporting cast Woodson said, “When you have O’Neal, who has been a six or seven-time All-Star, and [Udonis] Haslem who has played championship basketball, they have veteran guys who have been through the battles. My guys haven’t been battle tested. This is something new for our team. When I came into the series I thought we could make it to the next round. I want them to think that too. This series is a long way from being over if we take care of business tomorrow.”
Are you buying what Mike Woodson is selling?
If this was some master media stroke to ease the pressure on his team, consider that mission accomplished. But it didn’t look that way to me. I honestly didn’t hear it that way. Woodson’s comments on how his team would bounce back against the Heat seemed far more interesting to anyway.
”Our team has been committed all year long, so I’m not ready to put them out to pasture so fast,” he said.” They have been committed. We’ve had some tough times and some tough games, stretches where we didn’t play well. And we bounced back. We haven’t played well the past few games. We have to find what we’re made of. Until we’re eliminated I’m going to keep fighting and I’m going to push them to keep fighting.
”Again, when we won the first game, I’m sure they were down after that. They had to be thinking we had to win three more to get to the next round. I’m thinking the same thing. I have to get these guys thinking the right way. The last two games, we’ve been kind of punched out a little bit. We have to rebound.”
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1,132 comments Add your comment
Dominique Wilkins
April 27th, 2009
11:33 am
(replies back to Rathbun)
They gon be alright, games 2 and 3 were just HEAT CHECKS!!!
Clyde
April 27th, 2009
11:34 am
Blah Blah Blah
Woody will always be Woody
Mike Bibby's Defense
April 27th, 2009
11:35 am
Enter your comments here
Temperature of Acie Law's bench chair
April 27th, 2009
11:37 am
190 Degrees Farenheit
Al
April 27th, 2009
11:37 am
WHO DIED…? That was waaay too much talk about tingling nutsacks before noon.
WHO DIED ......?
April 27th, 2009
11:38 am
stop confusing trapping in the corners as a double team. i havent see two men on joe the way y’all make it seem the whole series all the guards and small forward can play joe except for chalmers to a degree. why dont woody put johnson on blocks where he might have advantage vs. smaller players
Game 4 Stats for Joe Johnson
April 27th, 2009
11:39 am
5/19 FG
2/8 from 3 pt…….hitting two BIG 3 pointers from waaaay back with the shot clock running down in the 4th quarter (with the only problem being the hawks are already down by 18…and he didnt do anything while it was still close)
AtlSouthside
April 27th, 2009
11:40 am
Josh needs to stop crying so much, play defense, stop leaving his man wide-open for 3’s, stop taking long jump-shots, and learn how to dribble. (This cat plays like he’s in high school)
RickNole
April 27th, 2009
11:41 am
Who died….?
Your grammar leaves much to be desired. I guess thats how they teach it down there in Carol City or Liberty City or Overton right?
Your reference to nuts makes you lose all credibility if your grammar skills didn’t.
Atlanta Spirit Group
April 27th, 2009
11:43 am
Beginning in 2009-2010, The hawks franchise will be moved to Milledgeville, GA and will be officially named the Milledgeville Chicken Hawks
AtlSouthside
April 27th, 2009
11:43 am
Joe Johnson needs to get physical, 6′7 240lbs, he needs to drive to the hole more instead of waiting for the double team… If he just drove to the hole he would get a better shot selection.
Why does Horford shoot so many jumpers?
(I think we should trade him and Josh for a legit big man)
WHO DIED ......?
April 27th, 2009
11:43 am
just trying to help them understand b/c some actually believe hawks were going somewhere,not with this team ever. it’s sad for fans to turn on team the way they have in 3 games,if i was die hard hawk fan i would be steamed but i also understand the anger when you thought you had team but to find out you really have nothing
Eric
April 27th, 2009
11:45 am
Sekou,
I’m not giving up on the Hawks yet. Not after following and cheering them on since November. It’s been too long a journey for me as a fan – and for the team and all of its fans – to lay down like dead dogs and watch the Heat roll over us. With that said, you couldn’t have put the Joe Johnson “ish” into better perspective. He’s our star. We pay him like it. He’s a two time All Star. Now is his time to shine. His back is up agains the wall, and now he has to prove himself. To my recollection he has come up huge in one game in the playoffs (I believe Game 4 vs. the Celtics last year in the playoffs), but he has never shown up big on the road.
In Game 3, JJ was clearly frustrated. He doesn’t get the whistles around the hoop, but that’s also because he shies away from contact a lot of the time. Sekou, have you noticed that JJ tries to avoid the contact on his way to the rim while Wade/Roy bump into people and try to draw the contact? I’m not sure if there is a correlation between that and his propensity to not dunk, but I just feel as if Joe is more of a “finesse” player than the other two supestars.
This team feeds through Joe. And if he puts them on his back they will respond. We are just as talented as the Heat. Jermaine O’Neal was worth less than the trash in the dumpster outside my apartment a week ago, and now Woody’s talking him up like he’s the “Pau Gasol” of the Heat. If the Hawks tank and lose two more, it falls on JJ and it falls on Woody. JJ gets paid like a star, he needs to play like it. If a team can’t be prepared to win in the playoffs as the 4 seed, its the coaches fault.
And finally, if management doesn’t see what I see, then Sund should pack his bags too. This team has no No. 2. scoring threat. Bibby is nice, but he’s a No. 3. He can only get his points in one way, from shooting the 3 ball or long J’s. Horford’s post presence is still too raw and Smith is wildly inconsistent. Sund, get us a No. 2 scorer and bring back Childress or go ahead and retire.
- ES
WHO DIED ......?
April 27th, 2009
11:47 am
a real man can take about anything i guess everytime you see yours you get scared of em huh nicole. i bet your women wouldnt feel that way,but you probaly all permed up like her too if you got one
Al
April 27th, 2009
11:48 am
Hey RickNole, for the Hawk fans out there not familiar with Miami who didn’t catch your racism… or should we just assume there was nothing racist about you naming black neighborhoods in Miami and calling WHODIED uneducated at the same time, right? Just a coincidence, right? Good joke though. I’m laughing on the inside. Really I am.
Al
April 27th, 2009
11:50 am
Nothing better than online racists. Bet you wouldn’t have the balls to walk up to someone in Carol City or Liberty City or Overtown and say it to their face, would you Ricky?
WHO DIED ......?
April 27th, 2009
11:51 am
al remember when we first show up in the rooms they were very confident jj this smoove that,horford would ave 20-20,they were call speedy flip zaza mo evans and someone name west, now look at em,they would take heat team for sh*T’y ass hawk team that PEAKED last year
NBA Champ, Kenny Smith of TNT
April 27th, 2009
11:52 am
The hawks are garbage in the half court. No sets. Just pass the ball to each other “you get em, no you get em” and finally one guy takes it… while everybody else stands around and watches ….DRIBBLE DRIBBLE DRIBBLE!!!…….DRIBBLE DRIBBLE DRIBBLE!!!
WHO DIED ......?
April 27th, 2009
11:54 am
atliens need to calm down probably half of south florida makes up atlanta aint that rite shawty
MannyT
April 27th, 2009
11:57 am
Joe has never been the vocal rah-rah type. I don’t expect him to change during this series. He does need to get his game back on track. The team needs to step up to playoff intensity. Maybe that first game got them too relaxed about their ability to turn on the intensity when needed.
As for the overall leadership thing, Bibby might be the closest we have to a vocal, veteran. Josh & Al may become those leaders over time. Sometimes you need to background leader to make it happen–like Dick Cheney was when he was VP, like Charles Oakley was for the Knicks in the 90s, or like Chauncey Billups has been for Detroit & now Denver. I might even put Kevin Garnett in this leader from the background bucket. (He seems more comfortable and successful as the glue guy in Boston than the lead guy in Minnesota.) You don’t have to be the top dog to be the lead dog.
Joe is our top dog, but he isn’t the personality type to be the lead dog. If Bibby wants to stay around, it’s likely his role until Josh or Al grow into it a little more.
All that said, we don’t have the time to develop a leader in the Miami series. Woody does seem to defer to Bibby & Joe about some things. Joe prefers to be the strong 2nd instead of the vocal lead guy. Tell Bibby it’s time to get the guys focused and let’s roll into game 4.
BWAF
Dan
April 27th, 2009
12:03 pm
AL,
I never said anything about the regular season series. That was someone else you were mewling to. And, that title is a fraud. I don’t care what it says, me and everone else that watched that series (including you) knows it is a total joke.
As for tonight…..I know what I’m going to see. I hate it, but I know what I’m going to see.
WHO DIED…? Does your wife type like you? Is she a great female typer?
WHO DIED ......?
April 27th, 2009
12:04 pm
for those who dont understand oneal situation need to shut up. only thing wrong with oneal is he cant jump twice no real explosion,but their is nothing wrong with the jumper,the blocks shots, the low post move(horford take notes) or his defense
NBA Champ, Kenny Smith of TNT
April 27th, 2009
12:06 pm
Enter your comments here
WHO DIED ......?
April 27th, 2009
12:10 pm
dan i dont know if she great but lil better than me lol
MAC-TOWN
April 27th, 2009
12:11 pm
Call me crazy but the guy who might need to step up and be a leader is Flip Murray. He’s not afraid to drive to the hole strong, he doesnt have a conscious with his jump shot….dude is fearless…..he is a vet….he can go off for 20+ points……and he doesnt seem like the quiet type
H3LL….the 2 guys off the bench (Evans and Murray) are the ONLY 2 guys on the team that can BOTH shoot AND take it to the hole strong…you see these other guys arent doing crap…let them take on more of an offensive load…..and put mario in the game for his defense and overall spark plug mentality.
WHO DIED ......?
April 27th, 2009
12:11 pm
damn i took vacation at the right time
Dan
April 27th, 2009
12:12 pm
Al,
Never said anything about the season series. I don’t know what to tell you on that…
That title is a joke. You know that…
As for tonight…the Hawks will lose. They are in one of their stupid funks that usually takes them a week to break out of. I concede the defeat already.
WHO DIED…? is your wife a great female typer?
Al
April 27th, 2009
12:14 pm
Dan,
I’ll let you have the last word on 2006. You’ve got your opinion.
Anyway, my team is inconsistent at times so don’t lose all hope for tonight. I haven’t seen the crowd that crazy in years though, so they might be able to pick the players up if they come out with a letdown.
WHO DIED ......?
April 27th, 2009
12:15 pm
should’ve keep terry, flip is a career bencher as is mo evans,speedy,and whoever is on your bench. stop putting them up so high on the nba chain. I know flip had you hype with the quick 7 points and evans with the 2 3’s and after that what you get from them
Reality
April 27th, 2009
12:16 pm
HAHAHA at greenstreet. The Celtics will not win a championship for another 6 years at least. It’s sad, cause they had a great shot this year befor KG went down. I feel bad for you guys, but it is what is. The window has closed. These upcoming years will be the era of Kobe, Lebron, and Wade competing for championships.
Greenstreet, in addtion this is a blog, not a therapy session for your hurt feelings. I know the Bulls are giving you nightmares, but no one cares besides your shrink.
Al
April 27th, 2009
12:17 pm
Dan I’m in a good mood today actually. I wanted to get you off the embarassing topic of championships (Embarassing from your perspective when your team has never even come close) cuz I kinda like you. But if you insist, we can go on and on about it…
Dan
April 27th, 2009
12:17 pm
AL,
I hate to say it, but I have given up hope. So, congrats. You guys win. I have just watched the Hawks too much. They start playing like this and there has to be 4-5 losses before they break out of it. Wasted season. Might as well have only won 30 games and at least had a lottery pick to look forward to.
I had a buddy who was there on Saturday. He caught all kinds of h#ll for wearing a Hawks jersey.
WHO DIED ......?
April 27th, 2009
12:19 pm
and for whoever think jus putting one spark plug in the engine will make it run better must be walking or riding bike. who is mario west plz clue me in. ps kobe jus wanted to know name of player so he wouldn’t disrespect him by saying that guy + we beat lakers that game bs
WHO DIED ......?
April 27th, 2009
12:20 pm
b/c those ppl were from south florida dan
Dan
April 27th, 2009
12:22 pm
Al,
My work computer does not react well to this site. I did not mean to post that twice. But, I won’t be convinced that the Mavs weren’t robbed (I’m not even a Mavs fan, or Heat hater, either).
I have never been this down on the Hawks. Not so much that I thought they would walk away with this series, I knew it would be tough. Just the lack of effort! It’s one thing to lose, and another just to roll over and take it.
Christ…I probably have to sit there and watch the Heat send us into the offseason on Wednesday night…I hope there are 20 people in the stands on Weds. I will be one of them. Hawks do not deserve the support of this town. Not with the lack of effort they play with.
Dan
April 27th, 2009
12:25 pm
WHO DIED…? Sorry, but South Florida is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when I think of blue-collar tough towns. I grew up going to games in Detroit. You want to see a tough town, go there.
Plus, I get the NBA Package…Heat games this year were not that well attended. So, let’s not get carried away with the “our town gets in the other team’s head” BS.
Reality
April 27th, 2009
12:25 pm
Dan,
Please provide the best possible excuse you can think of as to WHY DALLAS DID NOT WIN THE “PAYBACK GAME 6 AT DALLAS’ HOUSE”?????? Please try….seriously.
Miami came into Dallas and ripped their hearts out. If you don’t recall, Alonzo Mourning had 5 blocks that game, Udonis was a beast, and Wade was Wade.
The 2006 Championship Heat team is already remembered as the current and future HOF team with Pat Riley, Shaq, Alonzo, Wade, and Gary Payton.
Anyways, you sound really bitter and pathetic right now, just stop. Worry about your hawks.
Atlanta Native
April 27th, 2009
12:29 pm
Joe needs to shoot more from the outside like Wade does, he don’t need to go inside every time he gets the ball, Josh shouldn’t shoot at all, only dunks, blocks, Double team J. O’neal and guard Wade beyond the three point line, defenders shouldn’t be afraid to step over the three point line to guard Wade they just watch him shoot, this will get the Hawks the win they need.
Nookah
April 27th, 2009
12:29 pm
The Hawks have good talent. They have relatively young players but they truly lack a superstar. All the good teams have a superstar who takes over at crunch time and do it consistently. I love JJ but let’s face it, he is not a leader. He is very unassertive and he would be far more efffective if he had someone beside him to take the pressure off him. I suspect that’s just his personality. We don’t have that guy. Bibby is not that guy either. For someone to take the pressure from JJ, they have to be the voice of this team. Check JJ’s body language? Does that look like a person who wants to lead? He is a reluctant leader it is obvious. Maybe Horford will eventually be that guy. Time will tell. He has showed some glimpses of those characteristics but it has not yet come to the forefront fully.
I am not blaming JJ solely but in this game if you get the big bucks then you have to step up and the expectation is that you must deliver regardless. Woody is a good guy, but management has to be realistic now. Yes we have improved every year but that does not win championships. You need that extra uummmpphhh to put us over the hump.
1) Rick Sund will have to pull out all the stops and find us a championship calibre coach. Woody is not the answer. He has done his job and improved us but he does not have what it takes to push us to that other level – van Gundy maybe?
2) JJ has to be traded now to get the maximum we can get. The fact is simply this. In investing they tell you “buy low and sell high”. We bought high, so we are behind the 8 ball. I say this is the time to get rid of JJ, cut our losses and perhaps get a #1 pick somewhere even if it is in next year’s draft.
3) We need a much faster and defensive minded PG. No disrespect to Bibby but he can’t stay on the same floor with Rondo and now Derick Rose or even Mo Pete and these guys will only get better.
4) We need a true center. A tough, rebounding, take-no-nonsense, dont-come-in-the-paint kinda centre.
5) We need an assassin from the outside, a real good sharpshooter, Ellington maybe?
6) Resign Marvin….yes Marvin.
The bottom line is even if we win this series, it ends at the next round anyway, but I suppose it will be good for the psyche.
Go Hawks anyway!!!
Nuff respect everytime!!!!!!
Dan
April 27th, 2009
12:29 pm
Reality,
Stop ignoring the fact the Mavs were robbed of the Game 3 win. Series would have been 3-0 and there is “PAYBACK GAME 6 AT DALLAS HOUSE”. Whatever that means…I’m done talking about it, besides this: Calling me bitter and pathetic does not change anything. Still have a stolen banner in the rafters…
Al
April 27th, 2009
12:31 pm
Feel bad for your friend on Saturday. The place was a zoo.
We’ll see what happens. I haven’t seen any sign your team can win a road playoff game. But who knows? I think we have every advantage now as long as Wade, Haslem, and O’Neal can keep our kids’ heads in teh game.
As for 06, I still don’t see how the refs can make a team drop 4 games in a row. Game 3, Wade scored (I forget how many) points mostly from the field. GP hit a big go ahead shot with 9 seconds left. Dirk missed a free throw that would have tied it. Game 4 wasn’t even close. Game 6, the Mavs were very lucky to only be down 3 at the end. It had more to do with Wade playing amazing ball and the Mavs crumbling under pressure.
But whatever. We can argue about it for decades but really, we have the trophy in our house now. That’s the best argument I got.
Reality
April 27th, 2009
12:32 pm
Dan,
The regular season and the playoffs are a whole different animal, which I’m sure you’ve figured out now. That does not change with the fans.
Miami fans take it to another level when the games actually matter. Saturday was rowdy as hell and IT DID play a factor into the game. The Heat and crowd fed off each other all night.
“Our crowd was phenomenal” – Dwyane Wade after Game 3.
“We came out and used the energy of our crowd,” Wade said.
Even our homeboy Sekou will gladly confirm that the atmosphere at Game 3 in Miami was WILD.
Reality
April 27th, 2009
12:34 pm
Dan,
The history books say Miami won the championship in 2006, and that’s all that matters. Your opionion is worthless, so I will not even bother trying to convice you otherwise.
And the summer of 2006 I celebrated that championship every day. You can’t take that back buddy. Oh man good times.
Al
April 27th, 2009
12:35 pm
In sports, there are winners and whiners. Sometimes winners don’t win, but they lose with dignity. Whiners lose and look for every excuse to explain why they lost. I forget which Dallas whiner whined after that series, “We had the better team.” No, Josh or Jerry or whoever, you didn’t. If you did, you would have won. Period.
kwooden1
April 27th, 2009
12:37 pm
I’m sure that everyone saw that the Heat have been doubling JJ since the first game. I hear what’s being said about the vocal leadership argument about JJ, but Duncan’s not that vocal either, so what are we talking about? If we’re talking about basketball than O’Neal has stepped up and our interior hasn’t responded.
The problem with the HAWKS has always been offensive system and no true center. Both problems have be exposed in the last two games.
Tonight’s game is about tempo and defensive adjustments. The HAWKS are going to double Wade, the question is how much? The real issue is who is going to cover O’Neal and who’s going to get into a fight. I’ve seen enough basketball to know that the refs better get a good hold of this game early or its’ going to get ugly.
Like I said before, either way I can be happy with the result of tonights game. HAWKS WIN great! HAWKS LOSE another reason to move on in the coaching department
GO HAWKS!!!
Reality
April 27th, 2009
12:40 pm
Al, it wasn’t even a 7 game series! Dallas was proven to be mentally and physically weak. The Golden State series the year after, only helped proved that.
Haha, whatever. History was written already. I’m focused on NOW – and NOW has got me very happy and excited.
Dwyane Wade
April 27th, 2009
12:41 pm
Dan, you are incorrect.
We came out and used the energy of our crowd. Our crowd was amazing tonight. We came out from the jump and used that energy. It got us into the flow of the game and we played that way the whole night.
vava74
April 27th, 2009
12:41 pm
JJ will never rise to the occasion. His character is not consistent with a vocal leadership role (he is a second banana) and that is a shame because his skills are second to none.
This is also why JJ does not get the calls from the referees he should get. He is the biggest point producer in the league if you deduct free throws from the points total. Just check it out and you’ll see what I mean.
If JJ got the calls he should, his average would increase by 7 or 8 points, putting him on a different level of respect from his team mates, adversaries and referees (yet again).
J-Smoove is a jerk and will never shoot properly: a good shooter is someone who incorporates a mental discipline on his shooting mechanics.
J-Smoove is not mentally stable now and never will be, which translates in him not being able to repeat the shooting mechanism, hence, his shooting streaks and his inability to shoot free throws consistently. FT is a mental thing, more than anything else, with the exception of the players with hands too big to have a proper wrist action (Shaq, for instance) where both things accumulate.
Finally, again on the officiating: the NBA wants to see Wade against Lebron. This series will draw so much interest that the NBA cannot afford to have the discrete Hawks moving past Wade.
Wade palms and travels all that he wants and on game 2 the Heat got call after call in the lane going their favour.
The Hawks are a mentally weak team and they immediately lost their hedge. This carried forward to Game 3.
Finally, for goodness sakes, someone tell Woody to ask his bigs to hit J.O’Neal and Wade hard, even if it costs an ejection. Why the hell do we have 12 players suited? Can’t Otello or Solomon hit someone in the face with their elbows?
Did everyone forgot the cheap shots which SA used on the Suns a few years back in order to get them out of sync? Bowen’s kicks and face guarding?
Isn’t this all about winning? An not about having a good behaviour grade? I am not talking about injuring colleagues, but merely to show some grit and some balls.
darrell starks
April 27th, 2009
12:45 pm
IF the hawks loose this series Woody should be fired.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SouthAfrican09
April 27th, 2009
12:46 pm
Trust me: This players-only meeting is great news. WTF is this talk that players-only meetings are a joke if they’re in the playoffs?
This is the time where players can air out their differences. Joe can unite the team, Marvin can talk about his Spongebob obsession, but more importantly, I think Al Horford will unite everyone. We really could use Duck right now