A fresh start
I know you didn't see enough of rookie point guard Jeff Teague against Portland. Who wants to be their lunch money that he plays big minutes against Sacramento tonight?
SACRAMENTO – Before you finish your sentence complaining about Jeff Teague not playing against Portland and Joe Johnson playing too much, chew on one thing.
What if you are not alone? What if you’re not the only fan base whose general manager, coach, star player, sixth-man and last man on the roster drive you crazy?
What, you thought you cornered the market on being ticked off?
You are not.
Our good friend Nire passed along this message earlier today (or last night or whenever, being out west throws off my equilibrium, even after all these years of covering the league):
It’s always funny to me reading Blazers fan blogs and seeing how not alone Hawks fans are in our neuroses. Blazers fans have their own Mike Bibby (Andre Miller), JJ (Brandon Roy), Josh Smith (Travis Outlaw), Marvin Williams (Martell Webster), Teague (Jerryd Bayless), Al Horford (Greg Oden), and Zaza Pachulia (Joel Przybilla). They even talk about Nate McMillan almost exactly like we talk about Mike Woodson. Seriously, it’s uncanny. I just emailed Big Ray a series of blog posts from BlazersEdge where you could just substitute in the Hawks’ player’s names and it would be a typical comment section in your blog. My favorites:
“Brandon has dribblexia”
“Oden needs to be further integrated into the offense—immediately!”
“This team has needed a defensive-minded off guard — not a floor general (i.e., Miller), midget shooting guard (i.e, Bayless), or athletically challenged off guard (i.e., Steve Blake) — so Kevin Pritchard not trading for Kirk Hinrich midway through last season is inexcusable in my opinion.”
But why be like everybody else when you can move on? This is the time for a fresh start for your team and for you as fans. The Sacramento Kings await tonight at Arco Arena. They’re a new challenge, something else to focus on.
Win another game out here and then you can really start getting crazy about what could be in this first month of the season. Either way, I’m moving on tonight. No more griping about Mo Evans seeing limited minutes against the Trail Blazers after playing so well up until that game. I’m done taking shots at Marvin because he can’t seem to find his groove.
It’s time for a fresh start (tip off is at 10 p.m., don’t be late).
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861 comments Add your comment
truly1
November 7th, 2009
4:01 pm
to respond to the november 6 11:52 pm post from bubba or maybe ken. Flip had nothing to do with that loss he had 15points we lost by 20. crawford had 13 on a off night and if you watching the games is more feared. I think raja bell was the killer. crawford had 27 and 25 a couple games before that. You are as good as the sum of your performances. CRAWFORD is BETTER than flip. I know you like teague a lot so do i, well do you really think he would play if we had flip also.
Im not over reacting,
November 7th, 2009
4:01 pm
6 games, Hawks 4-2…fire woody!
Ken Strickland
November 7th, 2009
4:16 pm
UNDISPUTED CHAMP-Don’t take such a one sided view of the situation. Many outstanding college players had, and are currently having, outstanding careers in the NBA. Where would the NBA be today if every HC and GM thought like you and Woodson? Do you think PG’s like IThomas, TParker, CPaul, DWilliams, DRose, EJohnson, JKidd, GArenas, and even MBibby, would have developed into much better players if they had gotten the same ALaw treatment Teague is getting from Woodson? And notice, almost every player listed is either in the HOF or headed their.
JCrawford and MBibby would provide a very broad safety net if he proves he’s not ready, which hasn’t happened so far. Don’t let your insecurities, or that of the HC, stand in the way of his and the teams potential progress and success.
preston
November 7th, 2009
4:20 pm
I feel you undisputed……..I actually didnt see the game last night, probaly good I didnt. I just dont to see Teague get lost in the shuffle under Woodson. I dont think that we would be rushing him by playing him now either. Wasnt Lawton selected just one pick before Teague? and look at the minutes and the impact that he is having on his team. Like I said before, it is inexcusable to let Teague play one night and learn the league, and then turn around and completely sit him out the next night. That is the worst way to treat a guy that you want to develope.
bigdave
November 7th, 2009
4:30 pm
Najeh I think this is from me, you, and doc discussing exactly what Joe is talking about…
By bigdave
February 18, 2009 3:12 AM | Link to this
i see what you’re saying Najeh, and i definitely have no answer for that… thats why i consistently stress in my post when critiquing our offense that it indirectly encourages selfish play. our sg plays point, and our pg plays an off guard role. inevitably we no longer play as a unit. it wouldn’t surprise me if this watershed our job on the glass. im not implying that anyone quit, its just that you are less likely to give all out effort, if you aren’t involved on both ends of the floor. so though it might be up to the point guard, or facilitator to distribute, our scheme must demand ball sharing, and strategically place our players in areas on the floor where they are most productive (the entire squad were jump shooters). i cant say that it does this… hence, a skewed/flawed scheme…
By bigdave
February 18, 2009 3:54 AM | Link to this
our inconsistencies could stem from a lack of identity. my question is who defines/develops the roles of our players? do they themselves? we have a unit that wants/asked to be “jack of all trades” no “master of one”. with an exception of a Mario West you is strictly our “defensive-energy guy”. he embraces his role and in limited action, for the most part excels.
sure as fans we can say, “bad shot Josh, thats not your game” when we feel he is out of his shooting range. when watching other teams this is easy to identify who will be a perimeter scoring threat, low post threat, and who isnt. i cant say that about us and its not because we have players with strong versatile abilities. however, at this point Josh takes those shots frequently one ask, is it really a bad shot/not his game? is this were coach wants him, sees him as most productive? another example, that i enjoy, but i question, is when Al leads the break. coach allows this, is comfortable with this? i mean, sure he is young and athletic, but so are other bigs, and they hand the ball off to a guard to start the break. he probably could beat his man up the floor faster without the ball. he will even shoot an ill advised jumper from time to time.
last year Stan Van Gundy called out Dwight for being to worried about his offensive touches and not focusing on boards and blocks. he felt when Dwight focuses on those areas they play winning basketball. he could careless about what the superstar wanted he knew what they needed to contend. great teams have players that know their roles and coaches that stress them. we just have guys playing positions…
bigdave
November 7th, 2009
4:32 pm
same issues different year… Fire Woody… and the whole staff…
and Sund if you can’t see this, you should go too…
Undisputed Champ!
November 7th, 2009
4:41 pm
Ken Strickland
November 7th, 2009
4:16 pm
I see your line of thinking, Ken, and that an approach that had benefited some teams in the paste. For me, its not about Woodson, or anger or hate. I am a conservative thinker by nature. A lot was made about Boris Diaw when he did not get playing time too and now hes just an ordinary player. Nothing special. Im not trying to challenge your disdain for Woodson. Hate on, it doesnt bother me. Regardless of who the coach is. Id like an average rookie to circle the league once or twice before I step up his playing time to impact minutes. His learning should not come at the expense of winning games. I feel that rookie players (for the most part)learn faster from watching the starters and the league than from putting in mega minutes and repeating the game as they learned it in college. Im not trying to dis you. I can see your point of view. Just trying to get you to acknowledge a different view.
A apple falls from the tree when its ripe.
Undisputed Champ!
November 7th, 2009
4:45 pm
preston I feel you too. Its good to fight for the underdog. When Magic and birds were rookies you knew they were rare talent and game changers, so they started immediately. Most average rookies on a good team have to be patient for minutes.
On my job my learning comes in the form of hands on and watching someone else with more experience than me. Id like to be the lead man, but Im going to take my spot though patience.
Undisputed Champ!
November 7th, 2009
4:47 pm
Ken Strickland
*some teams in the past.
Bubbaの乗組員の本社
November 7th, 2009
5:10 pm
truly1 I agree with you on both points, Crawford is better than flip, and you are as good as the sum of your performances. That being said, flip is a very good player and scorer and may match up well with Crawford in one on one. Im looking at this from a monetary stand point by saying how much better is Crawford than flip. How many more games will we win with crawford than we would with flip….1,2, 3? my guess is about two more games, so im seeing if the end justifies the means.
Yes I like teague, nice kid. Dont want to rush him along too fast and crush his confidence, the pros will abuse a rookie. At least give him a chance to learn the league first.
Bottom line. Crawford is better, and a better fit for the Hawks…question is at what price.
Truth-serum
November 7th, 2009
5:11 pm
OK its nearing game time this is when you usually block my comments, so Ill sign off for now.
Ken Strickland
November 7th, 2009
5:20 pm
UNDISPUTED CHAMP-it’s not about hate with me either, although their are some intellectually challenged individuals that would disagree. If you’ll notice, not once have you read a comment from me where I advocated firing Woodson. I just what him to become a better HC so this team and it’s players can become better.
Bibby is on the extreme downside of his career and his limited abilities makes him no longer capable of doing anything as a starter to make this team or his teammates better. Teague adds quickness, speed, penetrating ability, which allows him to breakdown DEF’s and create easy scoring opportunities for his teammates, and he makes his teammates better and plays better DEF. In other words, he can make this team more effective, as well as less dependent on shooting jumpshots, and help solve a major DEF weakness, and that’s pressuring the ball at the point.
Those contributions alone would be a vast improvement over anthing Bibby can offer as a starter. Bibby and his attributes will still be available off the bench. If Bibby isn’t hitting his jumper, like last night, we get off to slow starts because teams will quickly double JJ. Teams know if Bibby isn’t hitting his longrange jumper, there’s little else he can do to hurt them.
Truth-serum
November 7th, 2009
6:08 pm
truly1, and Bubbaの乗組員の本社
Flip may not have nothing to do with the loss be he certainly had some thing t do with the win…. If you think 15pts and 6 rebounds and an assist in” 17.5 minutes” Is not a impact contribution, I encourage you to think again. Thats nearly a point a minute and a rebound every three minutes from a 2 guard. Let me add those weren’t his own rebounds.
Truth-serum
November 7th, 2009
6:11 pm
Crawford who was often guarded by flip, played 34.5 minutes and could only manage 13pts and 3 rebounds. Yea, flip had something to do with the hornets win and the hawks loss.
Undisputed Champ!
November 7th, 2009
6:16 pm
Ken Strickland, I think we aren’t that far apart on what needs to take place. I think you and I have differences on when this needs to take place. I guess Woodson knows better than you and I, because hes paid to make those decisions and hes been doing it for quite awhile now. I second guess him a lot, but I cant argue with his results. I guess hes doing it his way.
No, Ive never read where you’ve called for his firing. Most of your gripe is that you think he should do it your way, and that s your right.
You got tickets tonight?
Samuel
November 7th, 2009
6:20 pm
Joe Johnson has lost his mind. Is he really that jealous? He needs to go now.
If anything needs to change about our starting lineup, it’s Crawford for Marvin.
Should be a good game tonight.
Timbo
November 7th, 2009
6:21 pm
Let me say that it is kinda low (on whoever decided now was the time to go, whether that’s AJC or Sekou) for the beat writer of the only birdcage liner in town to leave at the beginning of the season. I’m guessing this means even crappier coverage than we already get for the Hawks . . .
JeJe
November 7th, 2009
6:38 pm
If Sekou has left, can we please take his picture off the page?
Maybe AJC will now hire a writer who gives us daily or every-other-day blogs, who can write blogs without ubiquitous typos/errors, and who will give us an objective view, not just “Hawks have arrived” trash after we win
Yupperz
November 7th, 2009
6:45 pm
Or maybe they’ll hire someone who will ban idiots like you.
Truth-Serum
November 7th, 2009
6:46 pm
Samuel as usual good point…is Marv trade bait?
Grandad
November 7th, 2009
6:47 pm
Messers truth serum/sybil/bubba/comic linguist: Je suis assure tu espece de cochon. insulting isn’t it.
Jay: Chris Paul; I cannot believe I’m sayin this, BUT…..Joe really disappointed me this AM. When I read his comments in the paper (yes I still read the paper the old fashioned way) it made me sick. It reaked of jealously. It appears he is jealous of Jamal. Which brings me back to my point. A trade for CP could pos. be made for the reasons you expressed. We cannot wait until after season – we would lose leverage. We should offer JOE NOW. We would, as I’ve stated earlier, have to include Teague but Marv should be the other piece (better cont.). N.O.
sells their fans that they will make every effort to re-sign Joe, even though they have no intent of doing so. Before today I would not have endorsed trading Joe.
Niremental: Yourself and others have been taking about Woody’s off., team identity, etc. I have never heard Woody define his philosophy. With any great Coach you don’t even have to hear them say it, but you just know their phil. I fear Woody flat out has no b-ball phil.
***I am so tired of Joe saying “some players don’t know their roles!”
Joe should step down as team leader if he is not committed to this team. One does not have to sign a contract to be committed. However, he seems more interested in getting his shots/pts. than anything else. I’m afraid thats what he means when talking about roles – Get Me The Ball.
preston
November 7th, 2009
6:52 pm
On a side note from the hawks…………have you guys seen that pic of Sammy Sosa? What the hell happened to him.
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/sports/NATL-Sammy-Sosas–69480167.html
Melvin
November 7th, 2009
6:55 pm
Nuggets maybe without K-Mart tonite…
“If Karl is going to pick up his 939th career victory Saturday and move past Red Auerbach for eighth place on the all-time coaching wins list, he likely won’t have forward Kenyon Martin, who left Friday’s game in the second quarter with a leg injury.”
bigdave
November 7th, 2009
6:56 pm
LETS GET IT…!!!
vava74
November 7th, 2009
6:57 pm
Sekou just made a demolishing report on JJ on NBATV…
KevinA
November 7th, 2009
7:06 pm
Sekou,
Just did a tell all on the NBA chanell. Mercy, were nation wide. This thing is out of control. He straight out said JJ told a reporter of his woes without telling the team first.
Melvin
November 7th, 2009
7:21 pm
Hawks off to a go start…
bigdave
November 7th, 2009
7:26 pm
Melo’s game has gone next level…
bigdave
November 7th, 2009
7:27 pm
keep up the aggressiveness Marvin…
Melvin
November 7th, 2009
7:31 pm
bigdave,
Agreed about Melo. He’s taken the next step.
BONE
November 7th, 2009
7:31 pm
JOes ball hoggin
bigdave
November 7th, 2009
7:32 pm
do we talk on the floor? did anyone alert Joe of the double?
bigdave
November 7th, 2009
7:34 pm
whats up with all the technical difficulties at Phillips… its like a regular occurrence?
KevinA
November 7th, 2009
7:34 pm
Josh a beast tonight
KevinA
November 7th, 2009
7:35 pm
Jamal says sit down son and let me show you how it’s done
niremetal
November 7th, 2009
7:35 pm
I’m a bit nervous because our defense isn’t tight…I don’t wanna get in a shootout with these guys.
bigdave
November 7th, 2009
7:36 pm
Mo is on early this yr. from deep…
bigdave
November 7th, 2009
7:37 pm
gee wiz… Melo…
Melvin
November 7th, 2009
7:40 pm
I think we will be ok if we limit the other players and let Melo have to work for his. right now, Melo is doing a lot of iso to score…
bigdave
November 7th, 2009
7:40 pm
i was eating dinner til Tyrone Hill showed up…
bigdave
November 7th, 2009
7:42 pm
purty…
Ken Strickland
November 7th, 2009
7:45 pm
OH YEAH, Teague isn’t ready.
bigdave
November 7th, 2009
7:46 pm
id like to see a pull up.. or little floater there from Teague…
bigdave
November 7th, 2009
7:48 pm
what????
bigdave
November 7th, 2009
7:48 pm
Teague clotheslined…
Ken Strickland
November 7th, 2009
7:49 pm
UNDISPUTED CHAMP-tell me what you’ve see so far from Teague that demonstrates he’s not ready or has to sit on his butt for half the season before he can be given any consideration. He’s just made several plays that Bibby can only dream about.
Melvin
November 7th, 2009
7:50 pm
Ok, why did we sign Joe Smith again???? DNP 2nd half against the Bobcats and in the 1st half tonight…
Undisputed Champ!
November 7th, 2009
7:51 pm
He looks good Ken!
BONE
November 7th, 2009
7:51 pm
Man why is Joe hoggin the ball
Undisputed Champ!
November 7th, 2009
7:53 pm
Hes still making mistakes but, if you want to let him play his way through his inexperience im with you. Let the kid play, Time to trade bibby because hes not coming off the bench with what he makes.