Stand up Hawks!
It's time for the Hawks to stand up, stand together and show the world that they belong.
WITNESSVILLE - Now is not the time Hawks.
And the postseason is certainly not the appropriate place to come apart at the seams.
The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t need the assist.
So to hear the Hawks talk of not “sharing the ball” and needing to “attack from all over” screams of a team in need of reconstitution (and if you don’t like what you hear coming from the Hawks’ locker room since their Game 1 loss to King James and his crew that’s a good thing, because you shouldn’t).
It’s not something that can be done by a coach or general manager intervening. It’s also not something that can be fixed with one of those trendy players’ only team meetings or any of the other conventional tools used by most NBA teams.
This is a calculated regeneration of a team that can only come from individual catharsis, and the Hawks need it to happen 15 times in 15 different rooms at the tony Ritz-Carlton at Tower Center (where NBA soul searching goes on regularly in this city) before Game 2 of this Eastern Conference semifinal tonight at the Q (the arena better known as King James’ Camelot).
As meticulous AJC wordsmith Mark Bradley points out, the choice to either fight back or get smashed, belongs to the Hawks.
Each loss the Hawks have suffered this postseason has been uglier than the one before it. The average margin of defeat (24.2 points) is preposterous at best, and an affront to the game at it’s core.
No playoff team capable of winning a seven-game series, as the Hawks have already done, should be on the receiving end of tail-whippings of 15, 29, 26 and 27 points, respectively. Those lopsided efforts speak to a team that, despite nearly eight months in the fox hole together, still does not trust each other completely, a team that can’t muster the collective energy and focus to at least make a loss respectable as opposed to making themselves a spectacle.
The first thing you hear in the Hawks’ locker room after a bad loss is, “We didn’t play together. We didn’t help each other out. We’ve got to blah, blah, blah.”
If you think I’m making this stuff up, here’s a sampling (edited ever so slightly to omit the verbal offender’s specific identity) of what’s come out of the mouths of your Hawks after playoff losses the past few weeks:
“We just have to play with a sense of urgency like we did in Game 1. We have to get after them defensively. And as long as we share the ball offensively, I think everything else on the floor clicks.”
“We’re up against it now. And we’ve got look at ourselves in the mirror and realize that we can’t get out of this mess without doing it together.”
“We’ve just got to pick up our intensity. We’ve got to do a lot of things. But it all stems from our effort. We have to play hard as a unit. That’s the key for us. And we have to bring that [today]. Because our backs are against the wall now, really against the wall. We’re going to see what this team is made of.”
“We came out and talked about hitting them first and not letting things get out of hand early like they did in Game 2. But we let them hit us first again.”
“We lost our composure, no doubt. Things weren’t going our way, calls weren’t going our way and we lost it. We let them build that big lead and it got to us. We were never in sync defensively and we just didn’t handle ourselves well.”
“In the second half we just didn’t get into any offensive sets. We were careless with the ball. We had too many turnovers. Any time we have 17 turnovers it’s never a good night for us.”
“It was very disappointing, knowing that we’ve come this far. Looking back on the first series that we had (with Miami), that was very tough, and I thought we would come into this game a little more enthused and come ready to play. I thought we had a pretty good first half, but the second half wasn’t so great.”
It never fails.
Whenever things go sideways for the Hawks they all start speaking French (”We, We”). For once, it would be nice to hear someone talk about what “I could have done” or that “I didn’t give my team” what it needed?
Whatever the Hawks do, they'll have to do it without Marvin Williams and Al Horford at full strength.
On paper, there’s no way the Hawks should do anything more than annoy the Cavaliers for a few games. Al Horford’s sprained right ankle won’t allow him to play at full strength during these playoffs.
Marvin Williams has a wrist injury that followed his late-season back injury, shredding what was easily his best (and breakout) season as a pro.
So no one is expecting these Hawks to shock the world.
But these Hawks have defied paper logic since training camp, including making a return trip to the playoffs whenever publication on the planet predicted they would not.
That they’ve made it this far, even with all the setbacks, is a testament to the resolve of this stubborn but flawed bunch.
Just how stubborn they are and just how flawed they are will come into better focus as this series continues, be it three more games or more.
Whatever happens, the time has come for these Hawks to dispense with all the locker room rhetoric and simply play the game like a team that belongs. Play it for 48 minutes, with the required fire in the belly and without any remorse.
Anything else is an injustice to those who have watched this team evolve from the 13-69 train wreck of a four years ago into the promising bunch that has defied all the odds the last year.
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645 comments Add your comment
Sam from da Swats
May 7th, 2009
10:30 pm
Hawks suck, its an explanation idiot, not whining. That’s what happens when refs call a game a certain way dummy.
vava74
May 7th, 2009
10:30 pm
nice move by AC… last year against Boston he had a couple of good drives to the basket too… he is obviously talented and we can point the finger to Woody for not using him more.
He does look shaky on his dribble though, always stopping the dibble at the 3-point line.
niremetal
May 7th, 2009
10:31 pm
Agreed. This is why I don’t get why Woody doesn’t go to his “10th man” unit earlier when the Hawks come out with more energy. If nothing else, these guys play hungry and leave it all out there. The only member of our front 7 who has that much heart is Zaza.
Hawks Fan In New Orleans
May 7th, 2009
10:33 pm
The Hawks 2nd unit is playing with “intensity” the starters only TALK about. The game was lost when Josh took the charge and the refs charged him with the foul on Lebron. Woodson benched our only sparkplug and that was a rap. The refs are making up for the bad calls in garbage time.
niremetal
May 7th, 2009
10:33 pm
Gardner has a lot of Flip in him with his fearlessness on offense.
Blast
May 7th, 2009
10:35 pm
Damn! Came out of church, turned on the car radio and Hawks down by 30 to start the 4th? They said Joe and Josh went out with injuries. What happened to them?
vava74
May 7th, 2009
10:36 pm
the second unit is not playing out of their own devices, they are executing what they practice.
since they are playing well, we can guess that they are well trained?
if so, then the problem is on the first unit…
harry the hawk
May 7th, 2009
10:37 pm
BLOW THIS TEAM UP:
Let’s not beat around the bush—this team suffers from a lack of heart.
Starts at the top—ownership in shambles. Rick Sund? Please…
Coach—nice guy…x’s and o’s—competent. Leader…doubtful. Have you listened to his speeches in the huddle? More insight and inspiration from a dishrag.
Mike Bibby—nice guy…fairly good shooter. Leader…no
Josh Smith…great physical talent…Young. Leader…Not even close
Joe Johnson…Underrated player…Leader….Could be, but isn’t
Horford/Williams…developing…Leaders…Nope
Bench…except for Flip and an occasional Mo sighting, invisible
This team is destined for the same–or worse—results in the near future unless the chemistry is changed drastically.
Get rid of Mike B.–too much money, not enough value in return.
Get rid of Mike W—good coach but not the right leader for this group.
Bite the bullet and trade Josh and/or bring in a leadership-type player/floor general to really run the show with he and Joe as comp pieces.
ATL won’t ascend to the next level without drastic changes.
richbrave
May 7th, 2009
10:37 pm
The referees are not being paid to bounce LeBRON from the play-offs. HE is the anointed one to play opposite KOBE and the LAKERS.
Four steps to the rim – four.!!!! Not a dribble in sight, or is he just so-o-o fast I missed it? WHEW. I predict the HAWKS will win one at home.
TheHawksFan
May 7th, 2009
10:38 pm
Why did the show Joe in that wheelchair? Thats just wrong.
Poor Woody
May 7th, 2009
10:38 pm
I ain’t got no Joe Johnson no mo’. Can I have a 4 year contract extension?
niremetal
May 7th, 2009
10:40 pm
I love it…the second unit doesn’t give a crap what the score is. Even if it’s “garbage time,” they’re determined to play with dignity.
Chicken Little
May 7th, 2009
10:41 pm
The sky is falling! The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
TheAntiMe
May 7th, 2009
10:42 pm
Well, then the Hawks should, at least, get a free Taco Salad. They sure as crap helped too.
Big Ray
May 7th, 2009
10:42 pm
Harry the Hawk,
Interesting thoughts. Most of them are correct. We’ll see what happens next year. Because unless drastic changes happen this summer, you WILL be seeing this same team next year. However, if that happens, and we see the same results (or less successful ones), we’ll know for certain that certain guys have to go, be they players or coaches.
And to be honest, that might be Sund’s plan. He gave Woody a two year extension. He may wait the full two years to make any changes.
Big Ray
May 7th, 2009
10:44 pm
Chicken Little,
No. The sky is NOT falling. We’re just hitting the ceiling…
Melvin
May 7th, 2009
10:44 pm
vava74, no need to worry about Acie’s handle b/c he could dribble the ball thru a needle hole….
bigdave
May 7th, 2009
10:44 pm
so doubtful for sat. Sekou…?
Melvin
May 7th, 2009
10:46 pm
LMAO… Blast, you said that you just left church and the 1st word you type is “DAMN”. That’s too funny…
Big Ray
May 7th, 2009
10:48 pm
Well, garbage time or not (as some will certainly claim), it’s obvious that our “on the end of the pine” players can do some things. Gardner is not afraid to shoot, and can hit threes. Say what you want about him going 4-11 from the field. Not any worse than JJ, Flip, or Bibby.
Hunter can rebound and play defense.
Acie can play pg. And next year, he might have to take on a much larger role. Funny, all I ever asked for was 15-20 mpg game to get him ready. That would basically give Mike Bibby good rest time, as he would be playing 28-33 mpg. Huh…
cee
May 7th, 2009
10:51 pm
wooo boy the hawks look bad real bad man i cant beleive i dont know what to say well i know what to say the cavs r better i mean way better and they want it more than the hawks true indeed the refs but u pjay through that u dont whine i never saw a ref change a call becuz of a players whine i mean do the hawks even practice it looks they they ju show up to the game on game day no chemistry what so ever how is it that mo williams is in his forst year wit the cavs and him and lebron play like theve been together for years but u look at the hawks u cant say the same i dont know what to say but i will b at the game saturday hope i see a good show i mean i know th ecavs will sho wup but will the hawks?
Astro Joe
May 7th, 2009
10:52 pm
Well, that was fun.
Ed
May 7th, 2009
10:52 pm
Let’s face it…Woody was only concerned about this year and winning now. He was on a short leash as he only got a one year extension and he knew they had to win early and often get enought W’s to get into the playoffs. Then if they could win the first round his job was safe and he would get another extension. Therefore he didn’t play or develop his bench and his regular rotation got totally burned out. The next extension has got to be for a longer period of time where Woody has the confidence he will be there or the same senario will happen next year. Otherwise the ASG / Sund should just let him go but that will not happen.
JOHN BARRY
May 7th, 2009
10:53 pm
HA HA HA HA HA U DUMB HAWK FANS TOLD YOU SO
niremetal
May 7th, 2009
10:54 pm
cee…are you doc’s son?
TheAntiMe
May 7th, 2009
10:56 pm
I think that Woody could possibly do okay as a HC somewhere else in this league, but IMO it just looks like he’s done all he can with this group of players.
It’s not realistic to think that the ASG is going to bring in anyone through free agency to make a difference on this team so it’s probably going to be the same core group of players next year. Especially if they do re-sign Mike Bibby.
In the offseason last year the starters pretty much all were lobbying for Woody to return as coach but not because they respect him so much but moreso because they are all so comfortable with him (even Josh, I really think). So much so, that they have pretty much tuned him out all season and it really is very apparent that the starters have Woody tuned-out here in the playoffs. All they hear is blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Frankly speaking, the starters really have no respect at all for Woody or anything he has to say anymore. At least, that’s the way it looks to me.
cp
May 7th, 2009
10:57 pm
The second unit showed more heart than I have seen out of the regulars the first two games combined… Law should have been in earlier as Flip was terrible once again. For some reason Woodson just refuses to play Law regardless if the guys ahead of him in the rotation stink…. Hunter looks like a guy who should have received more pt in the regular season. Gardner looks like he should have gotten a few more minutes too. Too bad we got Woodpecker as a coach.. Joe probably wont play the next game and even if he does I don’t expect much from him… I guess the injury to Joe gets Woodson an excuse to lose.. I wonder how much longer we have to suffer with this cat as a coach.
MyVIew
May 7th, 2009
10:57 pm
Thanks to this blog, I now know what will happen with the Hawks. Joe is a free agent after next year. Since he failed to show up in the playoffs, he will be an expiring contract player for next year. I can see Sund trading him this summer. For who? Who knows? But I will bet he has played his way out of ATL given his contract status and playoff performance. His value just went up for the Hawks and some team looking for cap space for the 2010 offseason.
Big Ray
May 7th, 2009
10:58 pm
With Joe out, even winning one at home will be a tall order.
Unless some dirty ATL fan hires Tonya Harding’s co-conspirator.
Nah, we can win. We can even win the series. Just need energy. Heh…
doc
May 7th, 2009
10:58 pm
gee, i wonder if our luck changed when i took off my good luck white out t shirt and the retro smith jersey and threw it haslem style at the tv after the second blown call by the refs. my count is queen labron should have sat down earlier than josh did. tell me stern doesnt have a play in this? samuel how can you explain it any other way? the only way you can play him and stay alive is say ole’.
forgive me guys, i will have better composure next time instead of bringing us all down with my bone head move to rip the shirt off. my bad. I accept all the blame and I aim to do better when i get to the highlight factory for one last stand on saturday.
looking like my expense account that is open with the hawks will be safe for the 15th, not being negative or anything. rod which year did you make that play for? that can be your only exit strategy.
harry the hawk
May 7th, 2009
10:59 pm
Ed:
I think Woodson may be in for the shock of his life if the Hawks get blown out (yet, again) in one or both of the games at the “Highlight Factory”.
No matter how good his regular season was, there are not many front offices that will stand for getting blown out—upwards of twenty points–on national TV six times in two rounds
Rollins Tree
May 7th, 2009
11:02 pm
The right head coach will unite this team and take us to the next level. Woodson has peaked in Atlanta. He sure can’t motivate them to win on the road. Playoffs or regular season!! Michael Jordan had to go through a head coaching change before getting to the promise land and thats whats needed here.
But will the Hawks make a move or be happy with a number four seeded team that barely made it out of round one in the playoffs?
Vick Supporter
May 7th, 2009
11:02 pm
Man I’m so f’ing pissed…..these dudes body language was bad from the beginning. You can overcome a great player (LeBron) if you play team ball. The 04 Pistons proved it. They need to find a way to get JJ some good shots…….They’re bringing the double team with Zydrunas and Joe can’t see the basket…….when he swings the ball no one is converting. Hell, if we had Marvin playing, it would make no difference…he disappears….until we get a superstar player (no disrespect to JJ) or WE PLAY AS A TEAM, this is going to keep happening. Hell, the second unit played harder than the starters.
Vick 09
kwooden1
May 7th, 2009
11:05 pm
UGLY, UGLY GAME!!!
I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that Joe is playing on Saturday. Marvin’s probably out and Horford is going to be limited. Injuries happen but I think the extended minutes is starting to take its toll. I’m glad to see the second unit come in and take care of Cleveland’s second unit. I told myself I’m not going to talk about the offensive system, but clearly the bench should get more burn. Without Joe, Marvin or Horford, the starters should be Bibby, Flip, Evans, Smith and Zaza. Not a terrible lineup, but not much resistance for the Cavs. At least this will force Woody to use Acie, Gardner, Hunter and West. Hunter, looks like a guy that can play, would like to see more of him.
GO HAWKS!
Big Ray
May 7th, 2009
11:05 pm
Trading Joe. Hmmm. Perhaps a bigger risk than trading Josh. The question is what do you get, and how does it fit?
Melvin
May 7th, 2009
11:06 pm
Check out this article below. Note what the POPCORN MAKER said as other players shy away from the question. Is he part of the James Entourage?
Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James and Atlanta Hawks’ Josh Smith: Who can jump higher?
Sure the games will be intense, but who can jump higher, LeBron James or Josh Smith?
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Brian Windhorst
Plain Dealer Reporter
In a league filled with relative gi ants, many with remarkable leap ing ability, LeBron James and Josh Smith are a head above nearly all others. And sometimes shoulders, too.
For a number of reasons, the conference semifinal series between the Cavs and Hawks, which the Cavs lead, 1-0, heading into to night’s Game 2, is attractive. But one would be remiss not to keep an eye on a rather unique subplot, a display of perhaps the two highest jumpers in the NBA.
Smith and James have played against each other since they were teens in AAU tournaments. They could both dunk by the time they were 13. And they can now see eye-to-eye. . . . with the rim.
There are some other contenders but Smith and James are generally regarded as the two highest leapers in the NBA.
When Smith goes airborne for his trademark soaring left-handed dunks, it sometimes seems as if he’s using a hidden trampoline.
Meanwhile, James’ signature defensive play, his “chase-down” block, is predicated on his ability to simply outleap the poor opponent trying to score. Not to mention James’ own series of high-altitude slams.
So to the point, who can jump higher?
“Josh Smith,” said James.
“LeBron gets pretty high, I’m not sure,” Smith said.
“That’s a really good one, I can’t say for sure,” said Hawks guard Flip Murray, who has been a teammate with both.
“I’d have to go with LeBron,” said Lorenzen Wright, a current Cav and former Smith teammate with the Hawks.
“I don’t know. That’s a good question to put on the Web site to get a poll going,” Mo Williams said.
Beyond the opinions there is some data. When players come into the league they go through a series of standardized measurements at the Pre-Draft Camp, which was held in Chicago when James and Smith came into the league. Among the measurements is vertical leap, which is done from a standing position.
In 2003, James recorded one of the highest jumps in history when he reached 44 inches at the camp. To compare that, slam dunk contest champ Nate Robinson hit 43.5 inches in 2005. Former dunk contest champ Gerald Green, who famously blew out a candle on the back of the rim, was recorded at 39 inches as a rookie. Dwight Howard, who has shown off his ability to kiss the rim, hit 35.5 inches in 2004 when he was 18.
Smith, who was measured the same day as Howard, was recorded at 39.5 inches.
But that was when Smith and James were teens. Now full-grown men, it seems much closer, especially when running and jumping off one leg, which might add about a foot to each of their ceiling.
In March, James and Smith ended up on the floor tied up with the ball at a game in Atlanta. The result was perhaps the most entertaining jump ball of the season. Slow-motion replays might be needed but it appeared Smith won it by a centimeter or two, but the Cavs ended up with the ball so James technically got the win.
“If we did it 10 times, I’m not sure who would win,” Smith said. “I can jump pretty good off two feet, but I’m really good with one.”
His left especially, which Smith pushes off on when he takes off in transition. Then James has, as teammate Wally Szczerbiak calls it, “Go-Go Gadget calf muscle on his left leg” as well.
Smith believes he could dunk on a 12-foot rim. James in the past has said the same. A reverse version of limbo – “How high can you go?” – would make a popular halftime show.
But it seems their peers don’t need to know who can get higher. They have both left an impression.
“Those are two freaks as far as jumping. Josh Smith is bouncier. For some reason when he jumps, he just bounces, and automatically, you step back and get out of the way,” Williams said. “LeBron is more power. He’s more of a power jumper. When he jumps, you look and say, I don’t think I have a chance with that one either.”
Sean O'Shaughnessy
May 7th, 2009
11:10 pm
CLEVELAND (Reuters) – When asked by reporters, after the Cavaliers’ 105-85 win over the Atlanta Hawks, whether he felt bad for Mike Woodson’s injury-plagued team, Cleveland coach Mike Brown explained “Mike Woodson has to take care of his own problems.”
rms
May 7th, 2009
11:12 pm
Dang Blast what did you do. Walk through the back door of church and out the front door of the church and into your car! At least put the swear word at the end of the sentence….
TheAntiMe
May 7th, 2009
11:13 pm
It does look pretty bad right now. Maybe, just maybe, if they can get Big Al back at near full strenth the remaining games might at least be competitive. It ain’t looking so hot but, hey, you never know.
Hopefully the starters were watching as the 2nd unit actually ran plays, got a hand in somebody’s face on D, and just plain hustled. The problem, of course is that the Hawks starters will have to do it when LeBron is out there.
rms
May 7th, 2009
11:14 pm
Well dont the let the guys on 790sports talk radio tell you. They will certainly defend Rick Sund and the ownership and tell us we should be proud of the Hawks regardless. We should keep Woodson and hopefully next season we will win 53 games and maybe even compete in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Now thats progress…. YEAH RIGHT!!!!!
darrell starks
May 7th, 2009
11:16 pm
Acie can not be on this team next year if Woody is the head coach period if so he still coaching this team and acie is still here it will be another waste year for acie because WOODY will never devolop him.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MyVIew
May 7th, 2009
11:16 pm
Big Ray…….Big Risk indeed. But if that guy shows up on a team looking for cap space it could work. I’m glad I don’t have that decision. But if they want to pay me to make decisions…………
In any event, next year will be his last unless he redeems himself. I’m not saying I absolutely know this is the best thing, but his performance in this postseason will be hard not to consider if he wants another big payday. This would make me hesitant unless I had my horse in place on the roster already and about to add joe.
Astro Joe
May 7th, 2009
11:18 pm
Accordng to pundts like Bill Simmons, trading Joe will be significantly easier than trading Smth. No, he didn;t say that exactly but he did indcate that trading a 4-year deal with over $45M remaining will be a lot harder than dumping a 1-year deal. Of course, I believe that the owners will make a financial decision and not a basketball one. Said differently, I wouldn’t bet on many changes amongst those players with contracts. Change will come amongst the FAs. And as I have been saying for weeks, don’t count on next year’s payroll being as high as this season’s payroll.
darrell starks
May 7th, 2009
11:18 pm
We must trade acie if WOODY is the coach next year.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!
Big Ray
May 7th, 2009
11:19 pm
Nice one, Melvin.
rms
May 7th, 2009
11:21 pm
Moses=Woodson
Joshua= New Headcoach…get it!! Moses never took the people to the promise land, Joshua did. Maybe we outta get a new, fresh face and voice in here that can take this team over the hump and into elite territory instead of hanging around the borders
Big Ray
May 7th, 2009
11:25 pm
Astro Joe,
But if it was worth it to have payroll as high this year (hey, we kept Bibby), then why not next year? Curious about your view on that.
MyView,
Good point. And I’m glad I don’t have that decision either. I don’t want to dump on Joe. But at times like this, and after all this time, do you think 2 first round picks, a serviceable player, and $70 million was ultimately worth it? That’s what is going through some people’s minds, I guarantee. Sorry, but that’s what you pay for a superstar type. Now we can argue all day long about what kind of player JJ is, but the price…is it showing itself to be right? Ancient history, and some people will automatically be pissed off at having it dragged up. But just like the draft, it’s still haunting us…
darrell starks
May 7th, 2009
11:27 pm
Can we get Rudy gay hmmmmmmmmmm.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Astro Joe
May 7th, 2009
11:35 pm
Ray, I’m guessing that corporate sponsorship and luxury suite renewals will be down significantly due to the economy. They probably had a lot of those contracts locked in before thngs started hitting rock bottom around September. So assuming what we have heard is true, that most arena-based revenie comes from corporate sponsors and luxury suite purchases, that will reduce revenue. Supposedly, the salary cap will decline across the league next year, since it is based on a percentage of league revenue. That means the luxury threshold comes down too. Whatever the avg. team payroll is this season, it will almost certainly shrink next season and there is no reason to believe that our owners will go aganst the gran and have a spending spree. I’m really hoping that I’m wrong, but when I see Hunter, Gardner and West at the end of the bench, I’m not expecting our owners to shop at JCPenney. More like Dollar Tree.
Melvin
May 7th, 2009
11:35 pm
Ray, I think we could improve this team with keeping both Joe and Josh if the ASG is willing to spend the money. Signing some free agents, drafting good young talent and making some valuable trades. I don’t think we have to gut this team apart but we could add a few quality guys and be better next year. However, this is a discussing for the offseason as I’m sure we will cover all the bases than. As for now, lets get a win on Saturday….