Joe Smith out, and some tidbits
Hello, Hawks fans-
Hope you are all well. A few things.
1) Joe Smith won’t be making the trip to Toronto. He’ll stay home for treatment, and Othello Hunter will be activated in his place. It’s possible Smith could play Sunday against New Jersey, but it would seem like that’d be an outside shot, perhaps somewhat dependent on what Hunter does against Toronto. Mike Woodson said Marvin Williams could be an option at 4 behind Al Horford if he doesn’t get what he wants from Hunter.
Smith had his hand in a wrap Thursday. He said the thumb was very sore.
2) A quick thought on Wednesday’s game:
They got a lot of help from the Bulls (Kirk Hinrich, playing after missing the last six games with a sprained thumb, missed all nine of his shots) but the Hawks played pretty tough defense for the second game in a row. They held Dallas and Chicago under 40 percent shooting and, if the fourth quarter hadn’t turned into an AAU game between the backups, they would have held both teams to their season lows for points.
I asked Joe Johnson if this was a turning point, defensively, for the team.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I hope so. We’ve been pretty good.”
3.) I think someone might have posted this already, but the Hawks reportedly lost $2 million last season, according to Forbes magazine. The report also said that the team is worth $306 million, which is 21st in the league.
4) To move along one of our favorite topics, Marvin Williams. Woodson on No. 24, from before Wednesday’s game:
“He’s still young. … When we got him, he was only 18, 19 years old. (He was 19 on opening night) He played on a national title team and played 20 minutes a game. He hasn’t played much ball is kind of how I look at it. He’s still learning.”
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439 comments Add your comment
Big Ray
December 12th, 2009
4:47 pm
I’m staying out of the black-white thing. I just don’t even see a purpose in such a discussion, it nearly always goes awry, but y’all can have at it. Somebody’s going to get their feelings hurt, though. Can tell ya that right now…
Ken Strickland ,
What can I say? So far, you are being proven right about the Cavs. Now, can they adjust? I’ll tell you right now, this sets the table for Mike Brown. He got COY last year, but THIS year he gets to prove his mettle, and whether or not he deserved to get that plaque. Personally, few things would make me happier than for us to overtake Cleveland. But that involves finishing it off: have to get past them in the playoffs. It’s early, we’ll see what happens.
Big Ump ,
I don’t know what Sund is judging Woody by. I do know that this team is better than it ever has been, warts and all. And you can’t acknowledge that without acknowledging Woody’s involvement therein. There are some things I’d like to see him change, but that is just me talking. I haven’t coached anybody, let alone this team.
Here’s one thing I’ve noticed. Teague is really in a much better position than anybody seems to want to give Woody credit for. He’s getting 10 minutes a game on a team that is far more potent at the guard position than it has been in years. Do we want to see him play more? Yeah, and Woody has said that he WILL play more. I’m willing to bet he will end the season around 15 mpg, the same minutes Law got while playing with a much weaker guard contingent. Right now, he’s getting the same minutes Law got when it was JJ/Bibby/Flip. Now, it’s JJ/Bibby/Crawford. Yet Teague is still getting 10 per game. I think the significance of this is being undervalued.
Seriously. Woody has a better vet, yet the rook still gets some burn. Gotta give him credit for that, especially when he has plans to extend that burn.
As for Woody as COY, I’ve never agreed with touting ANYBODY for that award until seeing what they’ve done all season long. I don’t care WHO it is. But I’d love for him to win it. Why? Because that would mean this team has done something wonderful, something that is significantly better than last year’s accomplishments. Who can be mad with that?
RLP
December 12th, 2009
5:12 pm
SA UEL:
I think I agree with BIG RAY that discussions of black white issues should be rare. All I mean by my statement is that there are probably some white athletes who, if they chose to devote all of their energy and talent to developing that talent in basketball rather than choosing some other sport would contribute to the talent pool in the NBA. They would make the league better. And that is enough about that subject from me.
Big Ray
December 12th, 2009
5:20 pm
CP ,
I agree. Woody handles his biz, he gets an extension. Right now, he’s handling his biz. I don’t know what the hurry is with trying to get him an extension right now is. For the upteenth time, he signed a 2 year contract. If it were me, I’d expect to do my two years, or most of it before getting a new contract.
At the same time, I’m not looking to replace him, because the only guys that I KNOW I’d be cool with replacing him….all have jobs they aren’t leaving. I’d be cool with Greg Popovich, Doc Rivers, Jerry Sloan, and maybe Rick Adelman. Nate McMillan is another maybe. But as stated before, those guys aren’t going anywhere, so it’s not even a thought. Oh, and why no Phil Jackson? Because, he’s a control freak on the level of Don Nelson, and he only coaches stars/superstars. Seriously. Ever seen Jackson coach a young team, or one without serious star power? Nope.
Rufus21 ,
I agree on the playoffs part. We could win 55-60 games, but if we can’t perform better in the playoffs, there is an issue. The question immediately becomes, do you solve the issue by replacing the coach, or by making roster moves? That’s never an easy decision, I think, and if you fire the coach, you have to be certain that whatever you’re firing him for is a fatal flaw. If not, you just made a mistake and simply used him as a scapegoat, meaning that you may replace him with something worse.
For example, has Jay Triano been able to do more with the Raptors squad than Sam Mitchell could? Can ANY coach?
Will the New Orleans Hornets get better now that Byron Scott is gone?
The Wiz may prove to be better under Flip Saunders (I suspect they will in time), but Saunders also doesn’t have the same roster that Eddie Jordan did, a fact that may escape some people.
If the Hawks can’t improve in the playoffs, then there has to be a reason for it. Improvement may not necessarily mean winning in the second round. It may mean a better showing, but still a loss. Do I want to settle for that? No, but reality is reality. If we win 50-something games and then lose 4-3 or 4-2 in the second round of the playoffs, are we still not better than last year?
Like I said, I don’t know what criteria Sund is judging by, but you have to be certain that a coach is the single largest flawed element before letting him go.
The Sixers let their coach go, and brought another one in. But was the coach the single largest issue? Don’t think so. I think it’s Brand and his huge contract.
jlewis
December 12th, 2009
5:30 pm
You guys are funny, I don’t love JJ, but I do know one thing, for all that screaming about PASS the ball, do you ever watch Wade and Lebron, they iso and play the same way and they get a million calls. If you believe J-Crawford can take JJ’s place, you’re on dope, he is better now because he is not drawing the other teams best defender, without Joe, he will and he will turn back into what they got rid of in Chicago, New York and Golden State, a chucker that makes bad decisions. JJ draws double teams which makes a bad shooting Josh, a spot up Bibby and an undersized center in Al better. If he leaves, there is no one in this league that can replace him that you don’t have to pay $20 million a year for.
Grandad
December 12th, 2009
5:44 pm
European in Atlanta:
Some excellent comments particularly about officiating in the NBA. Surely Hawks fans will not defend officials protecting and ‘enhancing’
the play of Wade, LBJ and others.
I don’t know if you spesifically said it, but if not, fundamentals:
there’s your difference.
Europeans are more fundamentally sound because of their phil. of individual w/o’s as opposed to americans – AAU. Deep topic / not enough time to go further into depth.
I missed alot of the “Euro” v Americans conversation but anyone who does not consider Pau Gasol one of the top players
[top 5/no less than top 10] doesn’t understand the game.
Big Ray
December 12th, 2009
5:52 pm
Hard to understand where the post about JJ came from…
But in the interest of stirring the pot, I’ll bet we’ll get more out of anybody we have to pay $20 million a year to, now won’t we? I mean, surely that’s reasonable to expect, since JJ makes $14 or $15 million per year, right?
I have to laugh about the JJ drawing double teams thing. While it’s true that he draws double teams, the magic of having Jamal Crawford is that this means JJ draws LESS double teams, because any team playing us has to respect Crawford’s offensive prowess. Sorry, but a guy who can drop 20 or 30 on you ANY given night is not somebody you can ignore.
As for Joe’s drawing double teams making Al and Josh more effective players…explain why this is working THIS year, but didn’t work as well last year? Could it be that maybe they’ve raised their games? Could they have gotten better? Nah, not possible. It’s all JJ. Yep, that’s the ticket…heh…
doc
December 12th, 2009
6:17 pm
not bball talk but glad to see gill get a shot at kansas to coach at that level.
continue to like what i see and hear from our hawks including woody. everyone seems on the same page. it may not show but when this team gels and it will they are going to terrorize even the big boys.
would hope to see more folks at the games soon as high school football ends and football takes a back seat in atlanta. if the falcons lose tomorrow all we have to really talk about of importance will be the hawks and possibly the thrashers. if it becomes the only game in town i would be disappointed if the numbers dont rise appreciably.
doc
December 12th, 2009
6:46 pm
went back a bit and read up on some good bball talk yesterday, instead of the drivel about woody and whether he is good or needs to have a contract now, or how sorry marvin is in comparison to someone else. again glad to see the dialogue be a little more broadened and scope changed to reflect on the league and how this team fits into it.
important to acknowledge the big blow out away from home as an outstanding harbinger of growth. the second unit just about led the team in minutes and in plus differential, double figures no less. when did that happen last?
also it is pretty amazing the point differential is so good. third best in the league as someone, i think rlp, pointed out. that is a hard number to ignore. some of the big wins with spread have been against some pretty good teams. fire is smoldering folks and going to get hotter as teague is allowed to set his pace and feel out the speed of the nba game and the new additions begin to grow into their roles. glad to see teague seeing the flow of the game as he was stuck there trying to find where he needed to be on the court there for a while.
also a shout out to my boy rick for what he has done to this tram since coming here to get them along with wody to get them to buy into the idea that the team could be greater than the individual.
samuel, have you thawed out yet. how did you and your guys do and how is the season going? sure do envy your travels. heh heh keep warm buddy and let us know if you are ready to be resigned for next year along with woody.
samuel = coy …. yet?
I MUS WRITE
December 12th, 2009
7:36 pm
RLP- Really? Nice try but the race thing is gett’n old. Here are sum random thoughts for u to chew on lol…..
1.How would the NBA having more white players improve the global popularity of the game? -It wouldnt,the last time I checked basketball was the 2nd most popular sport worldwide behind futbol (soccer)
2.What sports are these white guys playing? U know the ones who said screw the NBA and the chance to make millions because there are too many Black guys. – Im thinking real hard and im drawing a blank, I dont know one athlete in the NHL,NFL,or MLB that could make an NBA roster or for that matter the D League.
If Europe was as populated with African Americans as the US the number of Euros in the NBA would decrease as well. Players like Dirk,Manu,Gasol,etc could play in any arena against anybody but for every Dirk you hear about there are hundreds of players that cant handle our league. Euro’s also have the benefit of being far away and not put under a microscope like yung ballers from the states. Perfect example would be Jennings vs Rubio….Go ahead and tell me Rubio would be having a better season .
The moral of the story is you either have game or you dont- the country doesnt matter if you can play they will find you. In America they dont find many NBA caliber white guys because for every white standout there are 50 Black guys that are just as good or better
EX. Adam Morrison and JJ Reddick Standout college guys below average NBA PLAYERS.
Big Ump
December 12th, 2009
8:20 pm
Big Ray
Good posts as alawys.
JeJe
December 12th, 2009
8:24 pm
Tomorrow you will all see Brook Lopez have a field day, and Woodson will do his usual “we are sucking. Let me stick to my 6.5 man rotation and not try any of our bench bigs like Collins or RandMo on the bigger center” scheme and cost us the game or come very close to.
LET COLLINS PLAY TOMORROW.
PLEASE
hawks_4_life
December 12th, 2009
8:37 pm
Arm chair coaches got to love em
Clyde
December 12th, 2009
9:09 pm
INGRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RLP
December 12th, 2009
9:16 pm
I MUS WRITE:
If you will go back to my original post my main point had more to do with the fact that the ALJ chose to place the story of the team’s win last night on the bottom of page 6 of the sports section of the paper. I think that is a disgrace. However, that lead me into making some speculation tied to the discussion of European players versus US players. At the time I acknowledged that I probably should not have opened that can of worms. I have no desire to get into a discussion on the ability of people of different races. It is what it is and any generalization can result in misinterpretations of what is meant. For me the important thing is that anyone of any background can appreciate the beauty of the game when it is played at a high level. However, because some people feel that it is a black man’s game they tend to ignore the athleticism and grace involved in the game.
JeJe
December 12th, 2009
9:17 pm
STFU wit this racist garbage. Get a life you losers
jlewis
December 12th, 2009
9:53 pm
Big Ray, Jamal does not make JJ better, when Jamal is on the floor Joe’s numbers go down, check it. Also, what I meant by the $20 million player, I meant he will give you more because you are paying for the best, but what you pay Joe, you’re going to get less or the same and not as good a defense, if you think so, I want you to name them. Jamal plays against second line defenders, you guys are annointing him King, but think about it, everywhere he has been he has been run off, no defense, and he makes horrible decisions. He is good for scoring and coming off the bench, he plays that role well, but give him a year, because just like most athletes that are traded around, they wll be good for a year, but that second year they revert back to what they are.
Also, the others havent elevated their games, they’ve gotten smarter, especially smoove, if he had listened and played D, rebounded and stopped trying to shoot and play point, his transformation would have occurred two years ago. Brah, I read your post, you have insight, but so do others, i’ve followed the NBA since I was 11, and i’m in my late 40’s, it’s not rocket science, you just separate the guys that can play, from the guys that just run around and jump.
KevinA
December 12th, 2009
10:00 pm
The Hawks assist avg. is 21.7 When the Hawks hit their average their record is 8-0.
Interesting JJ numbers. When JJ has 5 or more assists we are 10-1. When JJ has 4 or less assists we are 5-5.
I have been critical of JJ and Jamal for ISO play and poor ball movement in some of our losses and wins but it is only fair to point out when they do great. In the last couple of games when they do shoot jumpers most of them are around the paint or in the paint. Even our 3 pt shots seem more wide open. Jamal is driving much more and Joe may be the best in the league at the floater.
Last season we saw signs of this type of play and the team not having to rely on one player so much. This year we have fallen on the old habits a few times but the trend is improving. So Kudos to the guards.
In the last two games JT has 15 assists in 42 min. It seems to come so easy for the young kid. Can’t wait to see how good he can be by the end of the year.
RLP
December 12th, 2009
10:07 pm
With 9:30 left in the fourth quarter the Celtics lead the Bulls by 23 points. I think we all have to acknowledge that right now there are only two teams in a league by themselves – The Celtics and The Lakers. At the next level come the Hawks, Magic, Denver, Phoenix and Dallas. For the Hawks this is a step up. For the Cavaliers and the Magic it is a step down.
KevinA
December 12th, 2009
10:08 pm
doc
December 12th, 2009
6:46 pm.
important to acknowledge the big blow out away from home as an outstanding harbinger of growth. the second unit just about led the team in minutes and in plus differential, double figures no less. when did that happen last?
Love that
South ga boy in the atl
December 12th, 2009
10:08 pm
Have to agree with doc, glad the dialogue has
Ives off of “Marvin is awkward and has no talent” and “why doesn’t woody give the 2nd team, ie Teague, more playing time” but damnnnn did we have to go to race. As a Hawks fan who happens to be white I wouldn’t care if zsa zsa was named “ahmistaad” and was African American with the rest of his teammates. I won’t to win. I pull for my team regardless of color. I pull against the other team regardless of color. It’s such a psuedo academic discussion to bring up euro s and “thier could be more amer white players in the NBA if they cared about it. Who cares one way or the other. It’s just a not so slick way of a white person trying to inject race in somewhere it doesn’t belong. I tell u what I care about: Smoove’s allstar play, Al’s tenacity, JJ’s leadership and rock steady play, Bibby hitting 3’s, Jamal’s instant offense, Zsa Zsa and Joe banging the boards, Teague’s brilliant upside, (leave Marvin alone yall. He’s still young lol) and Woody=COY. That’s what matters to me. Our atl Hawks and race shouldn’t mix. Leave that sh#% out of it
RLP
December 12th, 2009
10:10 pm
Cleveland should have been included as a member of the second tier in my earlier posts.
doc
December 12th, 2009
10:39 pm
rlp, it is a long season. the celts were the cream of the league at this point last year when their legs were fresh and the injury bug hadnt hit them blind side. let us see how things unfold.
uh can we drop the euro soft stuff as well.dont consider ginobli, gasol, dirk or parker soft but educated in how they play the game among others as i have witnessed them taking hits and keep right on going. lakers couldnt do it with odem and needed gasol to move him to a better role, soft or smart and tough? it is a different game with different skill set that isnt predicated on how tough one is or soft for that matter, different rules as well. chills performed pretty good here but has yet to light it up there, is he usa rigid and inflexible? if anyone should have flourished there it was him. maybe just maybe the adjustment to their game would be just as tough for some of our tough guy bangers and make them look like caterpillar earth movers on a road racing track. euro soft is a meaningless and provocative term used here frequently by some to do just that, dont fall for it.
and yeah sheed was soft … between the friggin ears and i was a fan of his. frustrated the heck out of me. he quit way too many times, i mean waaay too many times, to not call him soft in some way.
Ken Strickland
December 12th, 2009
10:41 pm
If the Hawks want to get better, they have to establish a definitive style of play. Right now, we have developed the habit of utilizing our bench and playing uptempo, fastbreaking, attacking the basket, ball sharing, inside scoring basketball only against some of the lessor teams. When we go up against the better teams, we always seem to revert back to using a limited rotation and playing ISO, one on one, ball hogging, perimeter oriented guard dominated halfcourt basketball, or WOODY BALL.
When we play WOODY BALL, if JJ, Crawford and/or Bibby aren’t hitting their jumpers consistently, we’re usually doomed. When we play fast, attack the basket and share the ball, it usually doesn’t matter because everyone usually gets involved. This team can’t get to the next level if fear, apprehension or trust issues are allowed to factor into our style of play from gm to gm and based on who we play.
We are the only playoff calibur team that changes the way it plays and approaches an opponent based on the opponents status. WE ARE TALENTED, DEEP, EXPERIENCED AND VERSATILE ENOUGH TO FORCE THE ELITE TEAMS TO STOP US FROM DOING WHAT WE DO BEST, AND THAT’S USE OUR SPEED, QUICKNESS AND ATHLETICISM TO RUN AND JUMP. The playoff series against Boston was a microcosm of what we’re still doing.
For 3gms in Atlanta, we ran them off the court in Atlanta and they couldn’t do a doggone thing to stop us. But, strange as it seems, when we played them in Boston we completely abandoned what we so successfully did at home and tried to beat them at their own halfcourt gm using WOODY BALL.
These are some of the details Woodson should be paying attention too, or at least have one on his assistants do so. That’s far more acceptable than publically bragging about not paying attention to things like monitoring players mins or the entire OFF, as if it’s some kind of badge of honor to flaunt his incompetence in those particular areas.
Hawks Fan In New Orleans
December 12th, 2009
11:19 pm
These are some of the details Woodson should be paying attention too, or at least have one on his assistants do so. That’s far more acceptable than publically bragging about not paying attention to things like monitoring players mins or the entire OFF, as if it’s some kind of badge of honor to flaunt his incompetence in those particular areas.
Right on Ken.
Mychelfromatl
December 12th, 2009
11:21 pm
What the hell happened to Mark Bradley? Did he do a Sekou Smith? If not Ken, dude seemed as if he could be a good beat writer for the Hawks.
Big Ump
December 12th, 2009
11:31 pm
WOW. Here we go again.Same bloggers same repeated issue. Amazing.
doc
December 12th, 2009
11:32 pm
ken, you are living way in the past if you think the playoffs of 2008 are relevant now 2 seasons later. you are remembering like a women does there dude. bottom line, our guys werent ready to be prime time playas and retreated up there.
ken, we didnt change our style at all in the miami series which we won either last year. we had no bodies to play with cleveland in the last series, so there was no style to speak of. yes, it was shameful to not win one, just the same we werent going to win that series and if we had threatened stern would have squashed it..
this team does have an imo and it is defense first. yes, we are scoring the ball better but it is still secondary to what these guys need to do and do well to achieve wins to play an aggressive defensive style and get stops when they have to.
northcyde
December 12th, 2009
11:39 pm
Mr Strickland, what grade would you give the Hawks as a whole. And what grade would you give Woody so far?
(( Matter of fact, these 2 questions are open for everyone to answer ))
My grade for the Hawks: A-
( No way in the world would I have thought the Hawks would win @ Boston, @ Portland, @ Dallas, go on a 7-game win streak, and be one of the top 5 teams in the league 1/4th into the season. Heck, I would’ve been happy @ 13 – 9 . . . so 16 – 6 is like a dream to me. They have won games playing uptempo, and by grinding it out. Aside for the 3rd quarter disasters against Orlando and LA, and a few meltdown vs bad teams, this team has played stellar basketball )
My grade for Woody: B+
( He established Crawford’s role on this team immeadiately, and wasn’t scared to go to a 3-guard lineup that I thought would be horrendous defensively. Conversely, that lineup, plus Smoove and Horford, is the #3 lineup in the league in +/- ratio. He’s brought the rookie on slowly, as he rightfully should, with Bibby and Crawford able to play the point. And when the 2nd team was losing leads, he didn’t hesitate to play the starters extended minutes to insure victory. Good job by him so far )
northcyde
December 13th, 2009
12:24 am
LOL . . I didn’t ask too hard of a question did I?
I’ll ask it again.
Give the Hawks as a whole a grade so far:
Give Woody a grade so far:
2 simple questions that everyone can give their opinion on.
JeJe
December 13th, 2009
9:09 am
“The definition of a franchise player is one who wants the responsibility for winning or losing,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. ”
And that’s why Joe Johnson is not a franchise player.
doc
December 13th, 2009
9:16 am
jeje, sad to say it but amen to that. when he says it is his fault for losing and our fault for winning then he has my vote. until then simply a very good player that i watch and enjoy just get really frustrated over when he goes into his “i am special role” but fails to execute, we lose, then he blames the team for doing just what he has done the whole game to cost us the victory. said it many times before, when he says, “it is on me” after a loss, then he takes the stripes of being the man, until then, uh, no.
doc
December 13th, 2009
9:21 am
northclyde, that line up was the one i couldnt wait to see on the floor especially at the end of games. many didnt notice last year how effective that type of arrangement was with flip at two and jj in the 3 spot. it was only enhanced with “flip on roids” crawford. the 3 may be the best place for jj for longer stretches in the long run as he gets bigger and stronger.
RLP
December 13th, 2009
9:38 am
DOC:
I agree completely with your point regarding the season as a whole. My point was only made concerning how things are shaping up at this point in the season. Actually even now an argument could be made that the Celtics are only two looses behind the Hawks. But I had really expected the Bulls to give them a better game last night. I know the Bulls are in the doldrums now but still they had a 6-3 w/l record at home before that game so I thought it could be an interesting game. Since the Celtics are now 10-1 on the road I am just very impressed with what they are doing this year. Plus I have never been a fan of the Lakers and hate the idea of that team having an uncontested reign going.
RLP
December 13th, 2009
9:44 am
I should have checked the scores from last night before my last post. The Lakers were defeated by Utah!!!!! I am certainly happy that our game with Utah is a home game or I would have to be questioning my pick there.
northcyde
December 13th, 2009
10:07 am
Doc, it’s northcyde ( n-o-r-t-h-c-y-d-e ). I don’t want people mistaking me as Clyde’s cousin or something.
And you’re correct sir about the 3 guard lineup with Flip last year. Take a look at last year’s +/- numbers compared to this years. I’ll list the starters and the numbers of our best group. ( NOTE: The 09 – 10 numbers are through 12/9, which means that they don’t have the Chicago and Toronto games added in yet, which will make these numbers even higher )
STARTERS ( Bibby – JJ – Marvin – Smoove – Horford )
08 – 09: ( -43 ) . . . Won 15 – Lost 17 . . . Off Rating: 1.04 – Def Rating: 1.09
09 – 10: ( +47 ) . . . Won 11 – Lost 9 . . . Off Rating: 1.10 – Def Rating: 1.01
BEST +/- GROUP:
08 – 09: Bibby – Flip – JJ – Smoove – Zaza
. . . . . . (+71) . . . Won 16 – Lost 11 . . . Off Rating: 1.25 – Def Rating: 0.94
( NOTE: The lineup of Bibby – Flip – JJ – Smoove – Horford got more playing time than the above group, and Won 16 – Lost 9 . . with a +/- of ( +53 )
09 – 10: Bibby – Crawford – JJ – Smoove – Horford
. . . . . ( +104 ) . . . Won 14 – Lost 3 . . . Off Rating: 1.32 – Def Rating: 0.97
It’s an amazing turnaround not only from our “high octane” group, but also from our starting 5, who struggled mightily at the beginning of the year ( partially because of the shooting of Marvin ), but has really come on in the last 10 games or so ( partially because of the shooting of Marvin )
northcyde
December 13th, 2009
10:19 am
As for what a “franchise player” is, it’s a guy who not only is an excellent player, it’s a guy that makes his teammates better ( usually on the offensive end ), and can build a team around.
JJ fits those descriptions. Like it or not, the current Hawks are built around the skills of JJ.
He’ll readily take on the challenge of guarding the other teams best perimeter player ( whether he plays PG, SG, SF, or even PF ). He is not afraid at all to take and make big shots. He’s not reluctant to put the team on his back offensively. He’s not reluctant to pass the ball to open teammates to make them better.
JJ is the embodiment of a franchise player. He just doesn’t have the off-the-charts athleticism that franchise players historically have.
Side note: LOL . . . why won’t anybody grade the Hawks and Woody? I’ll guess I’ll have to ask this question on the next blog ( hopefully that will come up today before the game ). But I’ll keep asking it.
doc
December 13th, 2009
10:29 am
northCYDE, there already is a blog up.
.
i thought your points were relevant enough that even if no one else sees them i wanted to comment.
folks may not like grades either. i usually wait til the end to dig deep into that type of stuff any way. shoot man it aint even mid terms yet. heh heh
South ga boy in the atl
December 13th, 2009
12:52 pm
NorhtCYDE. I’ll grade em. I think overall a B+. Could go A- if it weren’t for the 2 losses to teams we shouldn’t have lost to and Woody gets an A- As has been said earlier he figured out out how best to use Jamal right from the start, when to bring in the second five to change the tempo of the game, and how to bring teague along at the correct pace. One thing I would say though is I would give them an A for effort. Only a couple of hiccups so far with big road wins. They r in the top four now and they r trying to figure out how to handle the pressure of going from a “good” team to an “elite” team. It’s been a process for our Hawks and at each stage they had to figure out their place and how they fit. Well now they have arrived at the final stage. They r an elite team (not saying they will win it all this yr) and they can compete and win at the upper level now. But they just got there so they r trying to figure out how it works. A for effort and the other will come
Ken Strickland
December 13th, 2009
5:31 pm
NOTTHCYDE-Here’s the way I’d grade Woodson.
(1) In the area of player development D.
(2) In the area of using strategy and making adjustments, especially during gms D.
(3) In the area of developing and/or effectively utilizing his bench C-.
(4) In the area of designing an OFF/DEF that takes full advantage of his individual and overall talent C-.
(5) In the area of managing players mins D.
(6) In the area of keeping the team together and playing hard B.
(7) In the area of maintaining consistency in the way the team plays OFF/DEF C.
(8) In the area of keeping the team focused during difficult time for both he and the franchise early in his career A.
(9) In the area of keeping the team on a winning track despite franchise problems, his shortcomings and GM issues B.
(10)In the area of establishing team identity and consistent style of play C-.
Overall, I’d give him a C+.
Woodson did a very good job with this team early, but over the last 2yrs, when the expectations increased, he’s actually hendered the teams ability to become much better. The most frustrating thing for me is it would only require adjustments, not changes, to get this team to the next level. He just needs to pay more attention to details, his bench, players mins, player development, allow his assistants to have more input with strategy and adjustments, and make a commitment to consistently playing the style of ball that’s proven to be the most effective for the team and it’s talent.