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
Grandad
November 8th, 2009
1:13 am
Tonight’s win does not excuse Joe. Just reading what he said in the paper came across as petty and selfish. I read another writer’s perspective (I’m sorry I cannot remember his name right now) and he thought it was a jab @ Jamal. On the other hand I do not want to be negative @ a time when things seem to be going well. Winning cures alot of ills.
Ramon
November 8th, 2009
1:22 am
Bigdave, I could agree to that. But do you know RIGHT now if Joe was on any of the championship caliber team he would be each of their THIRD best player, and not second (except for Cleveland). But even there he would be the third option behind Lebron and Shaq. But in Boston, LA, SA, Denver, Orlando, and even his home in Pheonix, he would be the third option. So why can’t he see that he needs to encourage his team one on one not in the public? A JJ lead team will not win a championship series.
bigdave
November 8th, 2009
1:51 am
last year i spoke of how our isolation design of offense (iso sg,pf,c,sf) in its natural setting and progression promotes selfish basket and negates the team concept due to a lack of off ball player activity…
yet our switching defensive principles demand the all out team concept and cohesiveness in order to be effective… you’ve heard our players talk about it “playing as a team on defense, helping and rotating”…
how many times have you witnessed a player (not necessarily a Hawk or pro) not have it going or limited touches on offense and almost in unison his defensive effort lacks. or in football a receiver is not getting the ball thrown at him so he doesn’t run complete hard routes.
funny, our offensive and defensive scheme and principle are polar opposites of each other…
bigdave
November 8th, 2009
1:52 am
we have a close group, and it looks as if win or lose this year Joe is going to be critical of a less than all out effort. he say’s it looks good when you win but there are still some things we need to work on… this is on a night where both he and our key guys put up solid numbers across the board to handle a Nugget team. i can see others take but it seems to me that Joe has higher goals and standards than even we have set. hey, but like he said, “we have a long way to go”… give the guy some time and cut him some slack, Joe is just learning to be a vocal leader… gonna say some things that depending on your interpretation could leave a bad taste. however, its how the Hawks respond that matters…
Ramon
November 8th, 2009
2:54 am
Bigdave, I don’t mind him saying the things. But NO REPORTER should hear criticism from a player, before the team hears it from that player firsthand. That’s just called respect of the locker room. Out of all the times Josh and Woody have had their battles, how many times have either one of them critiqued the other one in public media without going face to face first? MJ was the greatest champion in this era, yet how many times did he cuss out a player in a practice/locker room but not critique them in the media? Matter of fact, he often times gave Kerr, Harper, Longley, and Wennington praise in the media.
KevinA
November 8th, 2009
4:50 am
JJ is just acting like the alpha dog he is. He see’s his big piece of meat being sliced and trimmed to be fed to the rest of the team. As all Alfa dogs do – they dream of even more meat, sometimes they turn away a chunk to look for a more choice cut later. Then one day the big dog wakes up and realizes that life is not a dream and the dogs he guides are chewing on the other end of the bone. The first reaction is to howl at the moon while the pack licks their chops.
Will he look over his shoulder, snapping and snarling, or be the first to accept the leather harness and put his shoulder in it. Thats what the best Alfa dogs do.
Clyde
November 8th, 2009
7:16 am
THE HAWKS BLOW OUT DENVER BY 25
FIRE BILLY
Clyde
November 8th, 2009
7:16 am
OH BILLY IS GONE ALREADY
FIRE WOODY
GeeMack
November 8th, 2009
9:44 am
I don’t think JJ was talking about the now he was looking at playing better defense period. We all know Woody’s calling card is defense and we haven’t seen that from the Hawks consistently all this season. JJ wants nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand.
However its funny than when a team is not a prolific scoring team defense is the calling card. Let that same team get multiple weapons offensively and defense is out the window.
Ken Strickland
November 8th, 2009
10:30 am
I loved the way Woodson distributed his PG’s mins. Bibby got around 20mins and Teague around 16mins. Although Bibby’s mins were reduced from the 31+ mins he’s been playing, he was able to be just as effective offensively and less detrimental defensively, although he got into foul trouble. Teague did a good job and was actually fouled, but didn’t get the call, on 3 of his drives to the basket. Joe Smith got some awful foul calls against him. On one, CAnthony just lost the ball going up and on the other Joe fell on his back while fighting for a loose ball and CAnthony rolled over the top of him, but Joe was called for the foul.
Last nights gm demonstrated the kind of team we are when we play DEF, attack the basket, and utilize our tremendous advantage in speed, quickness, athleticism and depth to play uptempo basketball. I’m also very impressed with the quickness and movement I saw from RMorris. I didn’t even know who he was he watching him move around so effortlessly. He definitely has physical talent, but until this season, I don’t think he made the mental committment to drop the weight that was holding him back and preventing him from putting it together. He agressively went after a couple of rebounds, and played agressive DEF, which he never did last yr. With his new found mobility and obvious postup OFF skills, it would be very interesting to see how effective he could be with some extra mins, motivation and encouragement.
Bibby’s mins over the last 2gms have been reduced from 34.34mins(Portland) & 33.50mins(Kings)to 19.48mins(Bobcats) & 20.13mins(Nuggets) without having a significant impact on his overall production. Bibby is a scorer rather than a facilitator and Teague is a facilitator rather than a scorer. I’d love to see Bibby brought off the bench and told to concentrate primarily on putting the ball in the basket. He and Crawford together, with Crawford as the PG on OFF and SG on DEF, would be deadly. Teague and JJ would be a better combination, talent, ego and chemistry wise, than JJ and Crawford.
Shawn
November 8th, 2009
11:46 am
SO WHERE IS SEKOU? WAY TO ABANDON US. WHAT A CLASSY GUY
terrell barron
November 8th, 2009
11:54 am
Dont know how much to take from this victory. Miami did the same thing to Denver on Friday. Good win though.
JeJe
November 8th, 2009
1:08 pm
I am very impressed with Woody’s coaching so far this year. I knew that Charlotte game was a trap game, but Woodson has done a good job with rotations. I would love to see ZaZa and Joe Smith get more minutes (didn’t Joe come here because he wanted minutes?), but his limiting of Bibby’s (getting old) minutes has been brilliant, and Teague is finally starting to get minuets (Teague has played well but just isn’t making shots).
I also think Joe is very jealous of Jamal, that he is playing next to someone who is quicker and has more offensive moves in his arsenal
niremetal
November 8th, 2009
1:28 pm
The top headline on Yahoo’s NBA page currently reads “Heat check”
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba
Ken Strickland
November 8th, 2009
2:38 pm
I don’t know what team would be stupid enough to waste time, effort and money on Allan Iverson. The same IA that’s always prided himself on being physically tough enough to play through almost any injury, has walked out on the last 2 teams he’s played for because he’s too psychologically fragile to accept the team concept. And some of you actually wanted to bring that cancerous ME FIRST mentality here.
Ken Strickland
November 8th, 2009
2:45 pm
JEJE-I don’t know about JJ being jealous, but having Crawford and/or Teague on the floor has limited the double teams and allowed him to become the assasin we’ve always wanted him to be. He’s attacking the basket instead of pounding the ball, and he’s using his size and height to his advantage in the paint. He’s also increased his rebounding numbers as well. That could be due to him playing more SF, since Woodson has used a lineup of Bibby, Crawford and JJ often.
JeJe
November 8th, 2009
3:45 pm
Iverson is one of the best pound-for-pound players of all time.
The thing that makes no sense to me is:
Did Memphis tell him if he was going to start or not BEFORE he signed the contract?
JeJe
November 8th, 2009
3:47 pm
Ken,
I agree completely. Teague has looked outstanding to me. He is not getting calls and he’s not making much, but he definitely is on the right track. So much better than Acie’s Laws ever was for us. We are going to need a lot of Crawford these next 4 games (NYK [road game], Boston, NOH, and PTL). Hopefully all the hot games he’s had so far will continue because he’s definitely on a tear.
AND DO WE HAVE A NEW BEAT WRITER OR NOT? HOW IS SEKOU NOT GOING TO WRITE A FAREWELL BLOG. THIS IS BS. WE NEED BLOGS. NOT THIS OUTDATED SACRAMENTO BLOG
Grandad
November 8th, 2009
4:55 pm
I agree wi. JeJe; Joe is jealous of Jamal. Even though Jamal has come in wi. a great attitude, or so it appears. I’m concerned whether Joe is
in for the long haul. He needs to convince, not us, but his teammates, if they are tight then it doesn’t matter what I think. However, I would very much love to see a sign that he and Jamal are on the same page, have chemistry, and are clicking when on the ct. together. Our best combo’s seem to be three guard lineups…Joe,Jamal,Bibby,Teager,and even Mo who is playing lights out in my opinion. This spreads the floor and opens the lane for our Bigs who are movers & cutters not traditional post up on the block bigs.
***One last note Jeff will be a good if not great perim. shooter in time. He was too good in college. His jumper right now is more of a set shot but wi. (valuable) experience there is no doubt he will be able to shoot effectively.
Ken Strickland
November 8th, 2009
5:17 pm
JEJE-Woodson has done some good things so far this yr, but he hasn’t done them consistently. If he wants to continue progressing as a HC, he has to understand that even HOF HC’s like PJackson and PRiley have shortcomings. However, they haven’t allowed their ego’s to get in the way of them bringing in qualified assistants with abilities and expertise to help them in their areas of weakness.
Everyone in the NBA knows PJackson is strong on dealing with players and their egos, using his bench effectively and efficiently, managing their mins and motivating and utilizing young talent. Everyone also knows when it comes to X’s and O’s and designing and implimenting a decent OFF system, he’s just as weak as Woodson, if not weaker. Recognizing this, he allowed one of his assistants to design what ended up being the triple post OFF, which he willingly implimented, and the rest is history. Woodson seems to relish being in control of everything, refuses to acknowledge his weaknesses, and ends up being a jack of all trades, master of none, and inconsistent.
If he coached the way he did against Denver on a consistent basis, this team would be much more consistent, and something to reckon with. This team’s play last night reflected the way he coached, or vice versa. You know without question teams coached by PJackson, PRiley, GSloan and GPopovich are going to be consistent in the way they play, what they do and how they’re coached, no matter who they play.
They’ve installed and instilled a style of play that’s proven successful, and they won’t change no matter what. Woodson installed an OFF system and style of play that has created uncertainty among players, fans and management. Only this yr, after not receiving another vote of confidence from the ASG, and GM RSund, has he shown a willingness to modify his style of play and OFF system to produce less reliance on shooting jumpshots and playing halfcourt OFF.
JeJe
November 8th, 2009
5:37 pm
Exactly. I would like to know how involved Larry Drew and Bob Bender (who?) actually are during the games. I would also like to see us higher a Patrick Ewing or better big man coach than freaking Tyrone Hill
Grandad
November 8th, 2009
6:17 pm
JeJe: Charles Oakley…I say again…Charles Oakley !
K.S.: Woody does not want an asst. with a dominant personality. I think
perhaps he has low self esteem as a coach. Maybe playing for
Knight does that; (tears apart your ego). Bear Bryant once said
he only wanted to hire asst.s that were smarter than he was.
(paraphrase)
KevinA
November 8th, 2009
6:25 pm
I like Bibby playing 20 min. He can play more but only if hot. Otherwise JT and JC are much quicker and create a much better flow. Playing JT should not come at the expense of Evans who has been very solid. Big Al was not rewarded for great play with touches. 4-5? Feed the big man.
If we could get one big game win, like last night, against a quality team on the road – we could make a huge mental break through. A great goal for our young team.
JeJe
November 8th, 2009
7:05 pm
We have shown we can beat any team in the NBA at home without much difficulty besides BOS, ORL, and CLE. Idk how many times we play BOS and CLE this yr but we should be able to steal a game vs. both of them at home. Also, SAS is always tough at home.
Other than that, I think we can keep it close against tough teams on the road. The games I’m worried about are against the crappy teams like CHA, NYK, NJN, MIL, PHI, who always gives us trouble when we are on the road
Ken Strickland
November 8th, 2009
8:49 pm
Last yr, we lost a number of gms because we either didn’t have an adequate closer and/or couldn’t create an adequate closing situation. JJ was always doubled and Flip was useless without the ball in his hands. This yr, Crawford and Teague have changed all of that. They are both able to penetrate, score and facilitate, which has allowed JJ to play to his strengths without constantly being double teamed.
Last yr with Bibby on the floor, teams doubled JJ and zoned Bibby, knowing he’ll shoot over the DEF 9 times out of 10 rather than penetrate. This yr, knowing one man can’t stop Teague or Crawford from getting into the lane, teams can’t commit to doubling anybody.
GRANDAD-I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s all about insecurities. That was the same thing that ended the coaching career of Dan Reeves. He was sooo insecure that he wanted to have absolute control over everything. I guess NFL owners decided they didn’t want to hire him an end up in a constant tug of war with him over having complete control. Maybe that’s why they’ve refused to give him a token call to interview for one of the many HC positions that’s come open since the Falcons fired him. He showed his extreme insecurities with his behavior, attitude and accusations towards his former assistant coach, MShanahan and former QB, JElway. I think he had simular problems with the Giants, but to a lesser degree.
You mentioned Woodson not wanting strong personalities around him. Well, I remember a few yrs ago when several of assistants wanted out and sent out feelers to other teams. Apparently some of those teams were interested and asked Woodson for permission to interview them, and he refused. I think they came to the conclusion that working UNDER a HC with so many issues, and an unwillingness to accept more than token input from them, wasn’t going to advance their careers. I noticed since that incident, nobody on his staff received as much as a nibble when their contracts expired, including Woodson.
clint
November 8th, 2009
8:56 pm
was at the game last night, what an unselfish team and a joy to watch. LeBron or one of the other big free agents should look at the tape and want to come play here. JJ is right, the defense could be better but Woody doesnt pay great attention to detail. Mo Evans continues to give a great effort on both ends of the court on a nightly basis. Much kudos to Sund for the guys he has added to this team the last two offseasons
JeJe
November 8th, 2009
8:58 pm
Sund has done a fine job.
Has anyone noticed that Mo Evans seems to make EVERY 3 he takes? I mean, his form is awful, but this guy seems to make every shot he takes lol
Grandad
November 8th, 2009
9:25 pm
JeJe: I both agree and disagree (1 pt.). When Mo shoots I am surprised when it doesn’t go in. On his form, I’ll have to study more closely but it looks fine to me (that was the 1 minor pt.). The thing Ive noticed about Mo is how strong he goes up when shooting inside. I wish Marv,Zaza, and even Al on occasion would take a lesson from him. What is Mo 6-4…6-5?
JeJe
November 8th, 2009
10:09 pm
Yeah Mo was a pretty mediocre finisher last year, but seems to have gotten better. His form isn’t awful, but looks kinda wild, where you have no idea if the shot is going in (a little bit like J-Craw). Not a Kobe-esque follow-through
clint
November 8th, 2009
11:55 pm
someone that knows more about the salary cap please enlighten me on this scenario: JJ comes off the cap and that takes us below the number. We are then free to sign someone or work a sign and trade for one of the big money guys in the 2010 class. Then do we not have the ability to pay JJ more than anyone else since he is our player. Is this a way we can get another star on this team. As i posted earlier this is an unselfish and fun team to watch but they remind me of the Danny Manning led crew that was also unselfish but needed another star come playoff time.
Grandad
November 9th, 2009
12:51 am
Clint; I would still like to believe a “Team” can beat a cllection of stars. In alot of cases stars are just a creation of someone’s
[in many cases ESPN or Charles Barkley, et al] imagination. As K.S. would probably agree AI is considered a superstar but who wants HIM ?
Pau Gasol was not really considered a Superstar but he was “the” key ingredient for the Lakers. We still need a piece as we are presently constucted. But not necessarily a SS. We need a Big with a defensive mentality. Not even a starter, just a role player, would do. But I am talking about some one that would contribute more than J.Collins.
If Jamal had been on a playoff team before he arrived, he would be more highly regarded. Probably not a SS but neither is Joe. Josh is on the verge of becoming a big-time player but I would be deliberate in tagging him with star status, so as to keep him on an even keel. Also Al has the makings of an all-star. Final word…it still comes down to TEAM.
ILL-logical
November 9th, 2009
10:14 am
Since this may be the last ajc writer’s Hawks’blog for a while, it should be known that there is trouble in dead tree print media land and it ain’t ever going to get better.
So while I would have loved to hear SS’s final thoughts here, he had to do what he had to do.Quickly.
Whomever the new person is-if ajc really want to cover this beat- they prolly won’t have the relationships that SS had so let’s give them time to get their footing. The good news is that now that SS is freed ,relatively speaking, from the fear of the ASG’s threat to cut their ajc advertising , he can be a bit more candid with his coverage of the team on nba.com
GeeMack
November 9th, 2009
10:28 am
Ken,
The Hawks are looking good. However I must say your assessment of Woody seems somewhat lopsided. Comparing Woody with coaches like PJax, GPop, PRiley, & JSloan is unfair in my opinion.
Woody has created a trademark with this team. They are solid defensively and they play extremely hard most of the time. The inconsistency we experince has more to do with inexperience than coaching.
The last 2 years we’ve witness the Lakers have their inconsistent moments regardles of their great HC, excellent offensive system, and defensive philophosy. We’ve still seen them go from one extreme to the next beat a healthy Bos & Cle. team on the road, then go home and lose to the Bobcats.
It should be no coincidence that as the player have matured so has the teams offense and defense. The guys you compare Woody to PJax, PRiley, JSloan, & GPop have all had privilege of coaching several all time greats something Woody has never had. There is know one on the current Hawks roster that would be considered an all time great now or by the end of their career based on where they are.
Woody should be commended for what he’s done. He’s guided a lost franchise back to respectability without a superstar talent. He’s done this in the midst of a fueding ownership, and an ill advised GM that passed on 2 potential HOF point guards who’s impact would have helped end the losing seasons 3 yrs ago opposed to last year.
Woody has his short comings, and I hope he addresses them, but they have not stopped this franchise from moving forward.
Ken Strickland
November 9th, 2009
10:40 am
GRANDAD-I’m with you on the AIverson sentiment. We need to add another dimension to our starting lineup at PG, because JJ is our only starter with one on one skills. We’ve already seen how our OFF dynamics change when we have at least 2 players on the court with one on one ability, like JJ with either Crawford or Teague. A starting PG that penetrates, breaks down DEF’s, and creates easy scoring opportunities for others, makes an OFF far more versatile, effective and consistent than one that just stands around the perimeter shooting long range jumpers. And let’s not talk about the added DEF benefit of being able to put pressure on the ball and not having to constantly switch, which crates so many unfavorable mismatches.
Before this season, every teams DEF strategy was to double JJ and zone Bibby. Bibby’s OFF limitations actually encouraged teams to double JJ. The arrival of 2 players with penetrating ability, Crawford and Teague, has forced teams to play JJ straight up, and he’s thriving as a result. We also need a Big coming off the bench that’s more of a DEF stopper and/or energy guy, like Birdman in Denver, or even Josh Smith. With his weight loss and new found mobility, along with his OFF skills, I think RMorris would be just as effective, if not more so, playing PF than center.
The Hawks don’t have a dominant player like KGarnett, DHoward, TDuncan or LJames, or the size of teams like Portland or the Lakers, that teams have to contend with. What we have to do to become one of the BIG BOYS is to establish an identity, and consistency, and force teams to contend with our unmatched combination of size, speed, quickness, athleticism, versatility and depth.
jlewis
November 9th, 2009
12:21 pm
Just like Phoenix, if Joe leaves, you will realize what you had when it’s gone. Also, there is a reason Jamal Crawford has been on 4 teams that wanted him gone, he is no savior.
vava74
November 9th, 2009
12:38 pm
Dang! We need a new beat writer fast! Can someone “stir the pot” and get a discussion going??
Mz. Hawkdafied
November 9th, 2009
1:02 pm
The Hawks blog brought up a good discussion on whether or not the SE division is the best division in the NBA. What do you guys think about that? Which division is the best right now?
Daniel
November 9th, 2009
1:17 pm
What’s up crew! I was on vaca for the last week and just caught scores. Hope everyone is doing well.
Mz. Hawkdafied
November 9th, 2009
1:31 pm
I am so proud of the way Josh Smith handled the interview on NBATV. He didn’t speak against his captain or discredit JJ in any way. He didn’t feed into all that stuff that NBATV was trying to hype up.
I don’t know what the deal is but it seems like somebody is trying to start some shiznick. I hope the Hawks players take the high road and not let outside influences deter them from being unified in accomplishing their goals this season.
Everyone is forgetting that JJ is human and will make mistakes. Maybe he shouldn’t have made those statements to the media and maybe he shouldn’t have. I don’t know, when I saw him make the statements it really wasn’t a big deal to me.
I do know this, the media can be very influential so JJ needs to watch his back and watch what he says from now on cause the vultures are circling. Someone is trying to sabotage this team and screw JJ in the process. Someone’s trying to turn the team against it’s captain and I’m not liking it.
Traceman
November 9th, 2009
2:19 pm
I don’t get why so many of you are ready to bench Bibby. His floor leadership and his 3 pt shooting are invaluable to this team. He is 2nd only to Al in +/- on the team and his +/- per minute is the HIGHEST on the team (other than Morris who doesn’t really count).
I’m sure that this shocks no one, but our most effective lineup thus far with regard to +/- has been Bibby, Crawford, JJ, Smoove and Al and it’s really not close.
If you look at our top 5, 5-man combinations with regard to +/-, Bibby and Al are the only players in all 5 lineups. Bottom line, when Bibby is on the floor, we win more than we lose.
Brad
November 9th, 2009
2:30 pm
Hawks ranked No. 6 in ESPN’s new power rankings (ahead of Cleveland). Not too shabby.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerranking?season=2010&week=2
Ken Strickland
November 9th, 2009
2:51 pm
GEEMACK-My intent wasn’t to compare Woodson to those coaches in terms of ability or accomplishments because there’s no comparison. My intent was to show that even though these HC’s are far, far more accomplished than Woodson, they’ve all demonstrated they understood they weren’t perfect, nor did they have to be in absolute control of everything. I also wanted to show that CONSISTENCY, and a willingness to adapt to and adopt what works, which is the common link among them all.
There’s no way you can claim any team that ranks 20th out of 30 teams in pts allowed, and gives up 102.1PPG, a good DEF team no matter how you spin it. And if Woodson was such a DEF minded HC, he wouldn’t have penalized and/or changed his overall DEF to accomodate playing PG MBibby, the teams worst DEF player, over 31+MPG since his arrival, especially when he had far superior DEF options. DO YOU REALLY THINK ANY ONE OF THE HC’S I MENTIONED ABOVE WOULD HAVE PENALIZED THEIR DEF AND OVERALL TEAM BY DOING THAT?
Woodson has demonstrated an inclination to force what he wants on the team, rather than doing what’s best for the overall team. That’s why he hasn’t received an endorsement from GM RSund or the ASG, or offered a contract extension. That alone should tell anyone with a clue, as well as those who continue attacking me for not singing his praises, that management agrees with my assessment that there’s something wrong with his overall coaching philosophy and approach, despite the teams 2 playoff appearances and annual increase in wins.
Traceman
November 9th, 2009
3:42 pm
Ken,
I think it is WAY to early in the season to declare that the Hawks are a poor defensive team because they currently rank 20th. Do you consider them to be a great offensive team because they currently rank 4th?
In addition, saying that Woody is “penalizing” the Hawks by playing Bibby at PG is ABSURD! This team went from being TERRIBLE before he arrived to being a legitimate playoff team after his arrival. He currently has the highest +/- per minute of ANY Hawk while the guy you want to bench him for (Teague) is 10th out of 12 guys with a NEGATIVE +/-.
I like Teague a lot and I think he has a tremendous amount of potential but he has not even come CLOSE to playing well enough to take minutes away from Bibby (or Crawford). Bibby is only playing 27.8 mpg right now and I can’t imagine that declining much if he stays healthy. We are not in development mode, we are trying to win and Bibby gives us the best chance to do that right now.
Finally, as for Woody, he is FAR from perfect but he has done a solid job so far this year. Even though we all complain about his offensive strategy/sets, we are currently 4th in scoring and 2nd in FT shooting which are both significant improvements over last year. We also won 2 out of 3 road games west of the Mississippi for the first time in forever. If he can get us back to playing defense the way we are capable of playing, we can surprise a lot of folks this year.
Grandad
November 9th, 2009
3:44 pm
K.S.; agree on all points, with pos. exception R.Morris, I like him more offensively than def. & reb. Another point about Teague and Bibby,
if Teager started and Bibs came off the bench (limiting his min.) he would be more ideally suited for the 4th qtr. wi. his exp. A 4th qtr. combo of Joe, Jamal, and Bibby @ the 1,2,3 would give Woody the trio he wants in there anyway @ the end. One wonders if Woody ever thinks of these things ahead of time the way we do (rotations) or he just subs by the seat of his pants. When I was responding to Clint, any reference to obtaining a player was a reaction to him stating that we need to add another star. I’ve said before and not to beat a dead horse but if we could steal JaVale McGee I think he would be the piece we need. He need not start at this time but could could plug the middle on those occasions when teams are eating us up inside. Last pt. Josh is a burgeoning monster. He just needs that one person (maybe its J.Smith) to mentor him. Earlier I wished for Charles Oakley on our staff.
doc
November 9th, 2009
4:09 pm
samuel, as ai is one of you bad boys you would sign in a minute goes his merry way because he cant accept his role and play team ball it is fun to see to good guys pull it together in phoenix. yup good character guys can win too in nash who you threw under the bus as dead and ultimate good guy grant hill are at the top of their division.
as far as sheed being a distraction he reformed himself under a strong gm in detroit who he respected and played well for. the reformation occurred a long time ago and he doesnt deserve that title any more than woody deserves or josh deserves the criticisms they get as the team wins.
ai, never quite got it, like some other folks that talked and under performed their way out of the league, two through minnesota. good character and practice habits will help you stay in the league and maybe get a title in the end or help others on a team, especially his coach. as an active coach i am surprised you dont acknowledge that foremost or maybe you just like bad boys.
check out the article;
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Ap4sTOdMjPsyY_8zkNwkwrU5nYcB?slug=ys-sunswest110909&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
doc
November 9th, 2009
4:18 pm
heh heh samuel you just flat out dead nd buried him this summer in your reviews…
Nash, meanwhile, has been, “phenomenal,” in the words of Kerr. He had 17 assists against the Wizards and is averaging 19.4 points and 11.9 assists a game. He appears to be enjoying himself on the floor again
yup over the hill wasnt it you said about nash. the guy is a baller, bottom line, great gym rat who will play until they have to pull his sneaks off him. give the guy his colors.
doc
November 9th, 2009
4:36 pm
cudos to jj player of the week. long time coming and well deserved for his body of work in this franchise, especially. testament to his coach and the surrounding players as well. when all do well, someone will get the attention they deserve. certainly his teammates performed well in spite of the lousy loss in charlotte.
Ken Strickland
November 9th, 2009
4:54 pm
DOC-is that really you? I haven’t seen this much from you in quite a while. You really illustrated the poor judgement SAMUEL has shown for sometime. He seems to judge a player or players based on his personal likes and dislikes rather than their actual talents and/or abilities.
JJ has certainly benefitted form the additions of Teague and Crawford, especially Crawford, as well as the uptempo OFF. While his PPG hasn’t increased significantly over previous yrs, his efficiency and overall impact certainly has.
doc
November 9th, 2009
5:44 pm
yup ken, it is me, season start yet? heh heh, been following my friends, all along.
just playing with samuel, another friend whether he wants it or not, and he knows it. besides it is good to see those two guys performing still and a way to put it out there even if it irks my friends a bit. both embody playing within the team concept and not always selling out to the highest bidder. those qualities arent seen too often today, good boy(churchy type) or bad boy(thugger). both play with edge and want to win especially glad to see grant hill on the court.
ken, i really think samuel has been wanting me to bite rather it be his judgment. as a coach i think he understands what coach killers can be. just saying.
go hawks, tough road trip and stole one, maybe let one get away. 500 on the road to start.
KevinA
November 9th, 2009
5:49 pm
Ken Strickland
November 9th, 2009
2:51 pm
Woodson has demonstrated an inclination to force what he wants on the team, rather than doing what’s best for the overall team.
Do we have a new Woody? Bibby’s minutes are droping. Jamal’s are going up. He is playing his bench more. We are trending to more of an offensive team instead of a defensive team. Does that look like a coach that is forceing things? Looks like he and the team are in transition.