Magic-Hawks
Happy Thanksgiving, all-
I hope you all have had joyful times of sharing with family and friends today before settling into some Hawks basketball. (and thanks, Honest Abe, for the kind words about the story. And, while I’m on that topic, thanks to all of you all for making me feel welcome in your space and for all of your encouragement. It’s made this a lot of fun.)
7:10 p.m. Mike Bibby will go. He tested out his ankle at shootaround and evidently feels good enough to go. He said he can go as long as necessary.
“I wouldn’t be dressing if I couldn’t,” he said.
Also, he and Joe Johnson have all-red Jordans, and it looks like those wearing headbands (Bibby, Josh Smith, Teague) are going red.
Also, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said he told Dwight Howard to be more aggressive with the ball. Remarkable stat — In the last five games, Howard’s shot totals – 5, 7, 4, 13, 5). He averaged 12.4 shots per game last year and 11.9 a year before that.
The Hawks’ PR staff says Mike Bibby is a game-time decision. He participated in the shootaround, which leads me to think he’ll play some, but perhaps his minutes might be limited.
One thing worth noting – Magic point guard Jason Williams played 39 minutes on his 34-year-old legs last night, three days after playing 39, so he might not have so much in his tank, either.
Got a tight deadline tonight, so don’t know how much I’ll be able to participate on the blog, but I’ll do my best.
Some links: a pre-game scouting report from the Orlando Sentinel
Some more national love: Yahoo! sports weighs in
An NESN.com (New England sports cable network) story on the Hawks.
Hope you’ve all had a Happy Thanksgiving. Let’s see what happens tonight…
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307 comments Add your comment
Samuel
November 26th, 2009
9:46 pm
It’s amazing that we can play an entire half of beautiful basketball moving the ball. Then come out and start dribbling too much and making turnovers and people blame Woody. Let’s call out the guilty parties involved, JJ and Josh.
Josh
November 26th, 2009
9:49 pm
AL HORFORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Big Ray
November 26th, 2009
9:50 pm
Hey Samuel ,
Yes, we do look pretty damn good. You know, beating the team that’s 20 points better than us on any given night. Or was that Boston? I think we beat them, too. Starting to believe now? Oh wait, the game’s not over yet, and we have yet to beat that incredibly scary monster up there in Cleveland. You know, the one that…uh…doesn’t have a better record than us….
Heh heh heh….
Wabe
November 26th, 2009
9:50 pm
Where’s the ball movement?
We’ve resorted back to the iso’s in this half. JJ dribbling the clock away and forcing up bad shots.
Think we left the energy in the locker room.
Wabe
November 26th, 2009
9:52 pm
Again, JJ into the lane forcing a tough shot…
Wabe
November 26th, 2009
9:52 pm
Dammit man.
Get it together.
Callout
November 26th, 2009
9:53 pm
Samuel,
Do you get congested from being that far up Woody’s jock? If JJ’s doing something wrong, why doesn’t your lover do something about it?
Big Ray
November 26th, 2009
9:53 pm
What’s with the Teague hate
Wabe
November 26th, 2009
9:53 pm
Maybe that T on Howard will spark the Hawks.
Wabe
November 26th, 2009
9:55 pm
Finally.
Don’t know why we didn’t look to Smoove earlier.
We played out of him a lot more in that first half.
Blast
November 26th, 2009
9:56 pm
Hawks are gonna win this game! So long as you give the ball to Josh in the post!
niremetal
November 26th, 2009
9:56 pm
The last ten or so possessions have involved no ball movement. ISO-Joe, ISO-Josh, post up Horford, ISO-Joe, ISO-Jamal, post up Josh…
Mike N.
November 26th, 2009
9:58 pm
We are ice cold from the outside…this is when Woodson needs to make some adjustments to his rotation. Get Teague in and let him penetrate to the hoop and create some easy buckets.
Hawks Fan In New Orleans
November 26th, 2009
9:58 pm
J Smoove broke the ice cold spell JJ and Crawford had us under. They need to feed it to Smoove and Horford a little more.
bigdave
November 26th, 2009
9:58 pm
JJ is making an assertive effort to get to the paint… id like that to continue.. hopefully he will finially draw a whistle on the shot attempt…
Call OUT 2
November 26th, 2009
9:58 pm
I dont get it at all. If the team is playing well its because Michael Woodson is a great coach. When the team is not doing well its because the players are not doing what they are told. It sounds like a double standard to me. A great coach is somebody that players listen to all the time, not just some of the time. If Johnson and Smith are the ones doing stuff the wrong way then why is the great coach keeping them in the game all the time. I think I smell a double standard.
Samuel
November 26th, 2009
9:59 pm
Do what? JJ knows what he needs to do, it’s up to him to do it. Our shots are not falling right now. We just need to keep playing hard on defense and keep moving the ball. They will come back. Good move by Josh.
Woody=COY
Callout
November 26th, 2009
9:59 pm
LOL josh is 4-11 with 4 turnovers and yall want to give the ball to him more? The solution is for WOODY to run plays that involve MOVING THE BALL. No defense has ever been broken dowjn by throwing the ball to one guy and have him take the shot without ever looking to pass and thats all their doing right now
niremetal
November 26th, 2009
9:59 pm
ISO-Marvin
bigdave
November 26th, 2009
9:59 pm
Marvin has given us 0 on the offensive end…
Wabe
November 26th, 2009
10:00 pm
Serious momentum swing here in the 3rd quarter.
Let’s hope that these Hawks can shake out of this slump, otherwise we could get blown out of our own building heading into the 4th.
Big Ray
November 26th, 2009
10:00 pm
Is is just me, or does Dwight Howard get away with that monstrous forearm when he’s driving….like, all the damn time?
Samuel
November 26th, 2009
10:01 pm
Where is “Fatboy” Jared Collins? A waste of money and roster spot.
Josh
November 26th, 2009
10:02 pm
bahhh, wheres the good ball movement and shot-making?!
niremetal
November 26th, 2009
10:02 pm
Ray – said the same thing earlier. It’s amazing. Even more amazing – Greg Oden gets called for 1-2 offensive fouls a game doing the same thing, but D-12 always gets away with it.
bigdave
November 26th, 2009
10:02 pm
Josh calls for the clear out…
its a wonder why Mo Evans doesnt foul out more… he is a team foul waiting to happen…
The Hawksta
November 26th, 2009
10:03 pm
Happy Thanksgiving fellas! Every team makes a run! We have to withstand this one. Good thing Woodson noticed JJ was forcing it. See if our second unit can pull us back
niremetal
November 26th, 2009
10:03 pm
ISO-Joe
Big Ray
November 26th, 2009
10:03 pm
Okay…heh…I know that was an ISO play, but it damn sure was a pretty one.
Hawks Fan In New Orleans
November 26th, 2009
10:04 pm
Glad to see JJ back in there.
Wabe
November 26th, 2009
10:04 pm
We looked like we came off the back to back in that 3rd quarter…
One of the worst quarters we’ve played all season, reminds me of that 3rd quarter against the Lakers in LA. Didn’t have as many turnovers in this one, but we took horrible shots and missed most of them.
niremetal
November 26th, 2009
10:05 pm
It ain’t gonna cut it late in the year when JJ is tired though, Ray…
Big Ray
November 26th, 2009
10:05 pm
Waste of a roster spot, eh?
Why is that, Samuel ?
Is it because he sucks, and Ya Boy Rick shouldn’t have signed him, or is it because Ya Boy Woody won’t play him?
Ah hell, I shouldn’t put you in a spot like that…I know which way you have to turn, even in a trap question like this one, heh heh heh….
Big Ray
November 26th, 2009
10:07 pm
Nire ,
No, it won’t, because then he might be too tired to make that play. But you know that if he keeps making the shot, or if the thought crosses the mind that he CAN make that shot, you’re going to see it over and over, and over….I mean, who is going to talk him out of it? Woody? I’d pay to see that one…
niremetal
November 26th, 2009
10:07 pm
Ok, I can’t hold back…what the hell is up with Craig Sager’s suit??
Samuel
November 26th, 2009
10:08 pm
Callout,
That’s what we did the first half. Where were you? So I guess Woody said at half time: “OK guys we’re doing a great job moving the ball, let’s change it up a bit and go to more ISOs”.
I don’t think so. It’s the players’ on the floor responsibility to recognize that. It’s obvious that you’ve never coached before. A coach is not on the floor and please don’t say bench your best two players in the biggest game of the year.
niremetal
November 26th, 2009
10:09 pm
Ray,
We’ve seen that movie before. Woody needs a Plan B for those situations. Unfortunately, Woody’s “Plan B” is “Plan A – with more energy!”
Big Ray
November 26th, 2009
10:10 pm
I am sick of watching JJ Reddick score on us.
niremetal
November 26th, 2009
10:11 pm
3 assists for Marvin. Is that a career high?
Samuel
November 26th, 2009
10:11 pm
We’re just missing open shots. Bibby back in, maybe he can hit some shots.
Wabe
November 26th, 2009
10:11 pm
Adjustments.
The Magic made them coming out of halftime, the Hawks haven’t made any of their own.
Big Ray
November 26th, 2009
10:12 pm
Nire ,
The man is crazy. He’s ALWAYS wearing some goofed up suit and tie.
Wabe
November 26th, 2009
10:13 pm
Over.
Samuel
November 26th, 2009
10:13 pm
Ray,
I gotta give Reddick some credit. He worked on his body and has developed into a good player. We need to make a run here folks.
Josh
November 26th, 2009
10:13 pm
big ray, redick scoring on us annoys me too… man, we needa get back in this game
niremetal
November 26th, 2009
10:14 pm
I know, Ray. But usually they’re just in loud and crazy colors. This one looks like he killed a zebra and a snake and wove them together.
Wabe
November 26th, 2009
10:14 pm
Offense fell off the map here in the 2nd half. I know there’s plenty of time left, but with the way this entire 2nd half has played out, I’m not so optimistic at this point.
a-jax
November 26th, 2009
10:15 pm
Charles Barkley, this is why people don’t show up at Philips. You get interested and they blow a 14-point lead in a big game looking like they’ve never played basketball before…
The Hawksta
November 26th, 2009
10:15 pm
Happy Thanksgiving fellas! Every team makes a run. If we stop shooting all those jumpshots and continue to take it to the rim we can pull this thing out! But hey like Barkley said, “One pass and shoot is the reason why we haven’t been on TNT more”.
Call OUT 2
November 26th, 2009
10:15 pm
Adjustments are on the players. The coach should not have to do anything because he is not on the floor playing. Where have you been? The coach is not responsible for anything. He stands on the sidelines and thats what makes him great. If something isnt getting done, thats on the players. Didnt you know that. Obviously you have never coached before or you would know that. What a bunch of blarney if I ever heard any before.