Big shoes to fill
What’s up, Sekou readers?
Hope you are all doing well. Thanks for your patience in waiting for this blog to get churning again. My name is Ken Sugiura, and I have the unenviable task of following up the master. Sekou, if you weren’t aware, took a job down the street at nba.com after five years of excellent Hawks coverage for the AJC. I’m not telling you anything you don’t know, but Sekou is a great guy, a great reporter and we will miss him plenty.
I’m going to be filling in on the Hawks until a full-time replacement is hired. I’ve got a good bit to learn, but I’m looking forward to it. As Sekou shared with me, it’s a good group to cover and the team, obviously, is on the way up. Hopefully it’ll be a fun ride, however long it lasts.
Anyway, I’m here for you guys, so fire any questions at me you’ve got, either on the blog or e-mail. I don’t have the wealth of NBA knowledge that Sekou does, but I’ll do my best to get you answers.
Enough blathering – on to the two-game trip to New York tonight and Boston Friday.
From Mike Woodson on down, the talk Monday and Tuesday was about defending better, which obviously will be a factor in both games, against the “Seven seconds or less” Knicks and then the three-headed monster in Boston.
Different guys were saying they need to get back to defending the way they did last year. The sample size for this season is small, obviously, but some numbers for comparison – 2008-09 – 96.5 points per game, 45.4 FG percentage from the field, 35.3 percent from three-point range. This year, 102.1, 46.0, 40.0.
One thing I heard a few different times was that the players aren’t doing a good job of communicating – calling out switches and the like.
Said Joe Johnson, “When we’re guarding our man and we’re supposed to switch, we’re not calling the switch. I think we’re assuming more than anything. It’s just guys not on the same page. Therefore, two guys are going on one man and another guy’s laying it up.”
Al Horford also mentioned the communication lapses, but added that “I think it comes down to effort.”
So, something to be watching for tonight (Wednesday) and Friday.
You may find this interesting …
Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague and Horford all mentioned looking forward to playing at Madison Square Garden. For Teague, it’ll be his first trip. Horford said it’s probably his favorite place to play, citing the arena’s history.
Said Crawford, who played a little over four years there, “It’s like you’re on stage. … The court’s lit up and the crowd’s kind of dark. It’s like you’re on a stage performing. So it’s really cool.”
Crawford also mentioned that over his time there, he became friends with Knicks fans such as Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Adam Sandler and Fat Joe.
Said the rookie Teague of going on the road, “Flying from city to city, you’re getting on planes, carrying bags and having so much luggage. It was kind of difficult at first, but now I think I know how to pack a lot better. I took too much stuff last time.”
One big difference between college and NBA road trips: “No homework at all. That’s a good thing.”
Your take
Anyway, let me hear from you, readers – Is 1-1 a successful road trip? Woodson has mentioned multiple times that he wants the team to go .500 on the road, so he said that the West Coast plus Charlotte trip was good, because it was 2-2, despite the trip-ending disaster in Charlotte.
What do you want to see from the Hawks?
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460 comments Add your comment
Traceman
November 11th, 2009
5:40 pm
Personally, I LOVE that so many guys have spoken out about our lack of effort/execution on D. Sounds to me like Woody is getting through. I thnk it is GREAT that Woody was getting on guys for failing to execute defensively in the DEN blowout. I think it is GREAT that JJ, Smoove, Al and Marv have all spoken up about our defensive shortcomings in one way or another. We really need to have more focus on the defensive end if we are going to take that next step.
I don’t think Woody’s system is the problem, it is the lack of execution that has been a problem. Apparently, some guys are not even consistently calling out switches which is leading to two guys jumping on the same guy leaving the other guy wide open. That is nothing but a lack of focus.
If I were Woody, I would tighten up that focus by subbing for guys who don’t call out the switch on the very next possession. I wouldn’t keep them out long but I would send the message that they needed to CALL the switch EVERY time whether it seemed to be obvious or not.
Grandad
November 11th, 2009
5:47 pm
Daniel: Additional comment; Mr Sund went out (much maligned ASG spent)
and acquired greater depth so as not to wear the team down with such great minutes per game. Jamal, Teager, re-juvenated Zaza 7 Mo, +
J. Smith. This would seem to enable us to compete each night without a letdown in effort. I cannot fathom…NBA or any level…not giving your best ! Dadgum, that rankles me and it shoul Mr. Sund and the ASG to think that on some nights their gonna say “well this is such a grind, I had better not drain myself emotionally.” I say again ‘manure/fertilizer’. What if your child’s schoolteacher mailed it in, worse,your surgeon, the kids wearing our uniform overseas. You think firefghters ever feel the grind. My apologies Daniel, your opinion was valid but obviously my philosphy differs.
KevinA
November 11th, 2009
5:49 pm
Traceman,
As many have said how do you switch with Bibby and Teague. When that defense worked well is when Chills was running the point at the end of games. All had long arms and were good defenders. With Jamal, Teague and Bibby it will never work.
KevinA
November 11th, 2009
5:54 pm
Grandad,
I agree. Has anybody done any research to see how the rotations compare with last year? They should give 100% on defense all the time. Shorten the rotation time if more blows are needed.
niremetal
November 11th, 2009
6:01 pm
Don’t think that Rod is Diesel. Their writing styles are nothing alike.
Grandad
November 11th, 2009
6:09 pm
MY apologies Rod. [jerrywest] obviously made a joke that eluded me.
Clyde
November 11th, 2009
6:12 pm
WELCOME KEN
FIRE WOODY
rms
November 11th, 2009
6:13 pm
bout time!
Clyde
November 11th, 2009
6:16 pm
DID GIVE UP THE BIG PLAY RAY SAY FIRE MIKE WOODSON? Ken Strickland we have another follower.
Next thing you know he’s gonna start saying sign Sean Williams.
FIRE WOODY
Stat Board
November 11th, 2009
6:24 pm
Al Horford: 16 blocks (T-7th in NBA)
Sean Williams: 1 block (8th on the New Jersey Nets)
Traceman
November 11th, 2009
6:26 pm
The key to the switching D with Bibby, Teague and Crawford is communication and execution. First of all, the players don’t HAVE to switch every time. If no switch is called, the players stay with their men, fighting through picks as necessary. Howevver, when the switch IS called and those guys end up on a bigger guy, the other players have to recognize it and double accordingly. The double has to come from the right place and the other players have to recognize where the shooters are on the floor. You shouldn’t leave a good 3 pt shooter to cover a poor shooter, even if the poor shooter is wide open.
The switching D can and DOES work when executed properly, even with Bibby, Teague or Crawford on the floor. Obviously, it is not going to work as well as it did with Chillz in there but it can work.
I’ve watched both Bibby and Crawford enough throughout the course of their careers to know that neither of them have EVER been good 1 on 1 defenders. Asking them to defend man to man with no help/switching is a recipe for disaster. Woody’s system actually camouflages their defensive deficiencies better than any other system they have ever played in.
Expecting Bibby, Crawford or Teague (at least at this stage of his career) to guard the better PGs or SGs one on one is just not realistic. Unfortunately, there are no Mookie’s on the team.
cp
November 11th, 2009
6:42 pm
Like I said earlier, we should attack the rim tonight with an urgency. The Knicks have no interior defense what so ever. We should be able to own the paint which will allow for open shots. So no settling for jumpers just take it to the rim.
Benjamin
November 11th, 2009
6:43 pm
If you guys are looking for followers on the ditch Coach Woodson train, consider me another caboose. I am not impressed at all by him, to be honest…
Clyde
November 11th, 2009
7:00 pm
BENJAMIN WELCOME TO THE TEAM. I started this 5 years ago by myself and each year we have grown. I’ll have your official t-shirt ready in a couple of weeks. Ken Strickland is serving as my voice until the Crimson Tide of Alabama loses a football game.
FIRE WOODY
KevinA
November 11th, 2009
7:00 pm
Unless we go into a tailspin Woody is here till the end of the season. Why beat a dead horse.
KevinA
November 11th, 2009
7:06 pm
FYI – Nicks blog says Nate will not play tonight. Good news as far as I’m concerned.
Big Ray
November 11th, 2009
7:21 pm
Ken ,
Welcome! You’re going to have fun with this crew, believe me. We are some serious Hawks nuts around here (and some are just plain nuts, but that’s besides the point). Oh, and don’t pay any attention to the canniblogging that goes on around here (if you don’t know what that means, ask MannyT , he has a copyright on that term). Enjoy….
Clyde ,
You know me better than that. That wasn’t me, and I’ll leave all the firing and trading to the man who actually does it: Rick Sund. A time and place for everything, man. And reasons for it behind that.
bigdave
November 11th, 2009
7:22 pm
LETS GET IT…
Big Ray
November 11th, 2009
7:23 pm
Oh, and Clyde …
I’m fine with signing Sean Williams. As soon as RandMo’s contract is up….
Traceman
November 11th, 2009
7:25 pm
CP,
I agree. Attack the rim, get back on D and guard the 3 pt line.
On another note, I’d love too see Jamal get hot and light up his old team. Hopefully, he will relax and keep playing the way he has been all season.
KevinA
November 11th, 2009
7:32 pm
I would prefer to see Al get a 20 pt 15 rebound game. Marvin and Evans go off. Joe Smith get quality minutes. JT out run everybody. JJ and Jamal set Hawks record in assists. Josh with 8 blocks and 7 assists.
Ken Strickland
November 11th, 2009
7:42 pm
TRACEMAN-we’ll have to find something else to discuss to weather the next break between gms that’s longer than a day. I was starting to get antzy. I really like Bibby, and I hope he can end his career here, and on his terms. I absolutely love him in the clutch. The biggest supprise for me isn’t when he hits a clutch jumper, but when he misses it, which he seems to seldom do.
J.J.M.
November 11th, 2009
7:45 pm
j smoovvvvvvv
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
November 11th, 2009
7:48 pm
Marvin dunked on that “Gallanari” cat????
wow hawks strugglin…
BONE
November 11th, 2009
7:51 pm
Man bibby’s defense is atrocious.
J.J.M.
November 11th, 2009
7:52 pm
Marvin dunked on that “Gallanari” cat????
wow hawks strugglin…
he got dunked on
J.J.M.
November 11th, 2009
7:54 pm
hawks shots are just not going in
Blast
November 11th, 2009
7:55 pm
Welcome, Ken S. No matter how long youu stay. I have read your articles on the AJC.
Hawks missing lots of close shots and playing bad defence. But Knicks piling on the fouls.
Blast
November 11th, 2009
7:55 pm
Josh crossover!
bigdave
November 11th, 2009
7:59 pm
Bpb clowning Nique…
Big Ray
November 11th, 2009
8:00 pm
Hah…’Nique isn’t hard to clown, bigdave ….lol…
Surprised we’re tied up at 16, what with our horrendous shooting percentage.
bigdave
November 11th, 2009
8:03 pm
ugly out here…
J.J.M.
November 11th, 2009
8:03 pm
get horford out
BONE
November 11th, 2009
8:06 pm
why do we always struggle with terrible teams. We have got to be the most inconsistent team in the NBA.
BONE
November 11th, 2009
8:10 pm
our defense is terrible
J.J.M.
November 11th, 2009
8:11 pm
well the magic and cavs are playing
BONE
November 11th, 2009
8:12 pm
Put teague in
bigdave
November 11th, 2009
8:13 pm
Teague would be a nice change of pace..
BONE
November 11th, 2009
8:14 pm
This is some bullsh_t
J.J.M.
November 11th, 2009
8:14 pm
joe johnson is playing his way out of atl
bigdave
November 11th, 2009
8:14 pm
yuck.
Blast
November 11th, 2009
8:14 pm
Hawks sleep walking right now.
Sautee
November 11th, 2009
8:14 pm
Get JJ out of there. Indecisive, dribbling INTO double teams, giving up on D.
Hard to watch.
BONE
November 11th, 2009
8:15 pm
Anybody wanna see a real basketball game turn it onto espn
Blast
November 11th, 2009
8:16 pm
Yeah, bring in Teague. Hawks better be careful. I see the Bobcats all over again. 2-0 on this trip will not be acceptable.
Ramon
November 11th, 2009
8:16 pm
Wow, the Knicks commentators are over here killing Joe Johnson! “There’s more selfish play from the guy who called the team selfish, forcing the issue with that drive” or “The Hawks passing is terrible, Johnson is passing horribly out of the double team.” Its so great to hear OTHER commentators from around the league critique Joe when he is the one constantly speaking against his teammates.
J.J.M.
November 11th, 2009
8:18 pm
im with you bone on espn
The Hawksta
November 11th, 2009
8:18 pm
How many freaking turnovers does JJ have already? Man, how did win that player of the week award? I hate it when we play like this! So hard to watch.
BONE
November 11th, 2009
8:18 pm
Man is getting techs the only thing woodys bald head is good for.
Ramon
November 11th, 2009
8:18 pm
Every starter has a turnover so far except for Smoove, funny.