Joe Smith out, and some tidbits

yessir…

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For more on the Chicago stomping-

http://crashingtheglass.com/

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Aww cmon Hawk fans

Forwards: LeBron James (Clev) 649,327; Kevin Garnett (Bos) 533,187; Chris Bosh (Tor) 303,550; Paul Pierce (Bos) 131,379; Josh Smith (Atl) 109,404; Danny Granger (Ind) 100,122; Andre Iguodala (Phi) 75,146; Michael Beasley (Mia) 58,461; Hedo Turkoglu (Tor) 55,416; Rashard Lewis (Orl) 46,073; Luol Deng (Chi) 37,428.

Guards: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 672,227; Vince Carter (Orl) 292,002; Gilbert Arenas (Was) 212,526; Ray Allen (Bos) 208,276 Derrick Rose (Chi) 196,059; Allen Iverson (Phi) 136,976*; Joe Johnson (Atl) 118,964; Rajon Rondo (Bos) 113,371; Jose Calderon (Tor) 68,084; Mike Bibby (Atl) 48,935.

Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 625,279; Shaquille O’Neal (Cle) 206,657; Andrea Bargnani (Tor) 67,310; Al Horford (Atl) 52,747; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 45,920; Brook Lopez (NJ) 39,420; Jermaine O’Neal (Mia) 38,956; Rasheed Wallace (Bos) 36,855; Kendrick Perkins (Bos) 19,408; Brad Miller (Chi) 17,188; Tyson Chandler (Cha) 14,062; Samuel Dalembert, (Phi) 13,969.

Cmon we need to work on getting Al into 3rd place among centers , Smoove into top 5 among forwards and Joe into top 5 among guards . We also should get Crawford into the top 7 guards as well no way Arenas should be 3rd with Joe and Crawford the top two scorers on the 3rd best team in the conference and 5th best in the league .

After last nights game Crawford is now 12th among all shooting guards in the league in scoring and 7th in fg%.

Lets get the vote out and get all of our guys represented better in the fan voting.

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it doesnt matter coaches will vote joe,josh,and horford in but I think josh should be starting

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bigdave- I was just messing with Clyde. Totally pulling his leg. Would be nice though.

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The Hawks need to win at least 5 of the next 6gms, because after we play the Wolves, we’ll encounter a string of 19 difficult gms indeed. After playing MIN, we’ll close out DEC playing DEN, IND, and CLE(back to back), then start JAN playing MIA, BOS(3times), ORL(twice), PHO, HOU and the SPURS.

I don’t know if we’ll fair very well if we try to approach that schedule and those teams using a 7-8 man rotation and playing JJ close to 40MPG like we’ve done over the last 15gms. We need to take a lesson from last nights gm and continue to run, attack the basket, maintain ball movement, spread the wealth and utilizing our bench, not relying as much of 3pt shooting, ISO’s, one on one play and play solid straight up man to man DEF.

WE’RE HAVE THE TALENT AND ABILITY TO BE A MUCH BETTER TEAM THAN OUR WON/LOSS RECORD WOULD INDICATE.

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Even when Joe Smith comes back the Hawks need to keep Hunter activated and let Collins wear a suit until he gets in some type of shape. That dude is terrible. Bibby is clearly hurt so increase Teague’s minutes and let him get more experience. We have some very winnable games coming up so it might be the right time to let the youngster play.

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Anyone thinking Bibby does not help this team is nuts. There is a reason they are #1 in fewest turnovers. When Bibby is out they start making turn overs. It is not just his numbers he is a stabilizing factors. I think Teague is coming along at a good pace, he still has a lot to learn. Also I think the pick n roll with Bibby and Horford or Smith is just about our most effective play we always end up with a good shot afterwards.

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Whenever the discussion turns to w/not Al is the center that the team needs to win a championship or w/not he is competitive in the short run , one point that has not been clarified is that when I make the point about the need for a different center, it is in the playoffs where the need becomes acute.. When the Hawks have to play a 7 game serise with a physically dominent center like a Dwight ,Shaq or Bynam we may use quickness to compete for 1 or 2 games but over the course of the 7 games brawn and height are going to prevail 9 times out of 10 and especially with highly skilled players like the aforementioned trio.

Does this mean that Al is not a heck of a player? No ! My point is that long term the Hawks have to look at playing a bigger team starting at center to win it all IMHO.

And that player probably will have to be develoed from the currrent roster because one of the prices of succes in the NBA is not getting a high draft position unless you can make a trade.

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Bibby

I think Bibby is a fine PG and very good leader. I believe Woodson should be able to develop a PG who is quick, athletic and can be just as effective as Bibby running the offense. Woodson has had 5 years and 2 1st rounders to develop a PG…When will we get our future.

This is the best year to let a young PG play…because we will still be the 4th seed with Teague playing 20 min.

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Chris Paul trade?

New Orleans in trouble. Coach fired. Small market. On the hook for Paul, Mo Pete, Stojokavic, Posey, Okafor and not winning.

Do the Hawks need him and what would it take?

Crawford, Smoove, Horford, JJ aint going nowhere but Marvin/Bibby/Teague could pry an unhappy Paul/1st pick away and give Hornets cost-effective young players to rebuild around.

ATL could finally put the Paul over Marvin debate behind them. Hawks get smaller but better. Depth could become an issue, but we have ball handlers in Evans, Crawford and JJ.

Probably more minutes for Joe Smith, Pachulia, RandMo.

Don’t see ATL spirit keeping Bibby beyond trade deadline anyway.

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tyger i like the trade scenario for chris paul but it would destroy our bench rotation and we no you cant win in the nba with and 8man rotation.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!

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I no andris biedrins is hurt right now but this is the perfect opportunity 2 get him, may be for a number 1 draft pick and no player involved.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!

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darrell starks i like that trade but i think it would take more than just a number 1pick for andris biedrins.

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No way a 23-year-old nightly double-double and shot blocking threat gets traded for just a pick, especially not by a team that has zero inside presence besides him.

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“tyger i like the trade scenario for chris paul but it would destroy our bench rotation and we no you cant win in the nba with an 8man rotation” darrell starks, December 10th, 2009, 6:46 pm

Darrell, I agree. However, you know how much Woody likes a 8 man rotation lol

Ken Strickland, Although the schedule is very tough, the Hawks are known to compete very well against teams .500 or better.

That being said, my biggest concern is if the Hawks lose a tough game to one of those teams, will they keep it together, or will they go on a losing streak (I feel like I just contradicted myself).

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Rufus, it’s nice to say that an NBA title is the goal, but when you think about the practical ways of making that happen, you find that you end up chasing your tail. I’m fairly certain that in modern times, exceeding the luxury tax is the first way to build a true title contender.

And yes, Rondo definitely started in the woeful season of the Celtics, prior to the KG & Ray Allen trades. And wasn’t Rondo a college senior when he left Kentucky?

Teague’s minutes should increase as the year progresses… but I don’t think he should average 20 minutes in his first 40 games in the NBA. Not as long as Bibby is leading a team that is first in TOs and is clearly an improved offensive team.

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aj: rondo was a sophomore

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Astro

Honest-abe has some good points.. I agree Bibby is what we need NOW, but we can’t sacrifice another young PG for 2 or 3 more victories. Teague must have an opportunity to develop and 9 min is not enough.

Is it possible Woody does not know how to develop a PG…that would explain alot. It has been 6 years.

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Rufus,

How can you say that Woodson is no good at developing points guards?

Didn’t he develop Joe Johnson via “Iso-Joe”?

I mean Joe was never an All-Star until Woody handed him the ball and told the team to get out of the way, right?

Note: I’m calling Joe a point guard because he dominates the ball on offense.

And this is tongue-in-cheek, in case anybody doesn’t recognize it.

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Sautee

That is what Billy Knight wanted…JJ the PG.
Teague is atleast as good as Darren Collison and Eric Maynor.

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I’m still on the fence about Woody. If Sund decides to extend him, I think it’s important that an offensive coordinator be next on the agenda.

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sautee: thanks. glad to be back on this thing. nothing like rehashing the same thing in a million different ways. hey at the least the hawks are winning now. heh

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RAJAH-Ordinarily, hiring an OFF coordinator for this team would be an excellent idea. However, we’re talking about a HC that won’t even assign certain detailed oriented tasks that he’s stated he has no interest in to his assistants, like managing players mins or monitoring the OFF.

Forcing him to accept an OFF coordinator would setup a situation simular to the one the Falcons had under Dan Reeves when ABlank forced him to hire a DEF coordinator. Reeves felt very uncomfortable and threatened by having WPhillips running his DEF. He also had the same insecurities and felt threatened by having MShannahan as his OFF coordinator at Denver. I can see the same situation manifesting itself with Woodson.

Besides, if Sund thinks Woodson needs an OFF coordinator after 6yrs, it’s better to let him go and hire a new HC along with that OC.

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Joe is the boss – but m new nickname for Jamal Crawford is Jamal the Great!
BTW with The Magic loss tonight – the Hawks inch to 1 1/2 games behind Orlando for tops in the Southeast Division. With an easy (on paper) stretch of games lined up. Exciting times indeed to be a fan.

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mike woodson said,”Marvin Williams could be an option at 4 behind Al Horford if he doesn’t get what he wants from Hunter.”

Are u kidding me?? is this guy for real??
othello has not played in 1 game this year!!
no game time experience at all this year..
but,u are willing to throw him out in the fire and give him a one and done ultimatum..

well u know what coach.
if he fails,it will be your fault..
you have done nothing to help develope this young man and his talent at all..

it was josh childress who went back to his stanford coaches with help on his defense and his offensive game to help him to get where he is today and the last year when he played here..not u and your staff!!

it was akeem the dream who helped josh smith with his rebounding game and his low post play 2 years ago that helped him last year and this year..remember everybody??
not woody or his staff!!

and,so,it has dawned on you that u want to set othello up to fail,and talk crap about he must come out and play or you will use marvin at the number 4?

why not,develope him coach??
why not give this guy some playing time,even if its every other game to get himself acclamated with this team..

you have done nothing with the young talent that u got thru the drafting of billy knight,not even with al horford..
he was already who he was when we got him..point blank!!

every week u say something weak..
every freaking weak u say something that makes u look like u don’t know nothing..
this team wins in spite of u..

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Nunna Yo Bisnezz,
You are correct: Hunter hasn’t played this season. He did, however, get extensive minutes in preseason and played last year; he practices with the squad. Coach knows what Hunter can do. I didn’t see the same “one and done” ultimatum you seem to dislike. I see a coach pointing out options to replace the 9min-3 pps he loses in Joe S.
Also, Hunter knows Coach’s system; he also knows the score: be ready when called upon. Coach is giving him 2 days to “Get your head right, son, or I’ll find someone who will get their head right”.

Bench players have NO GUARANTEE of minutes or development. I don’t get this “it’s somebody else’s fault if I don’t succeed” crap. It’s HUNTER’S fault if HUNTER doesn’t answer the call. Period. The NBA is NOT an entitlement: it’s a meritocracy.

I hope Hunter answers the call. I also see no problem with slipping MW into the 4 slot for 8-10 minutes of backup and letting Evans pick up a few min in his place. MW has never been forced to bang with the 4’s of this league. He’ big enough and would offer a lot of matchup problems, if he is willing to bang. By being able to step out and shoot the 3ball, he creates mismatches. We already know he will rebound. At this point in the season, I’d as soon see the experiment with MW…especially if Hunter won’t hunt. I know MW will bust butt, even when he’s missing shots. He hustles.

That’s what Woodson’s saying: “If I don’t see what I want from Hunter”. He WANTS to see “BUSTING BUTT” in the minutes…not entitlement. He is not only outlining his options, but challenging a young man to “show me”. Man up, or man out….

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I think we should support the blog http://www.crashingtheglass.com. With good support, this guy blog could be big.

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I love the idea of bringing Hunter in for some work. I pray he focusses on tight D and rebounding. Hopefully he’ll get some put-backs on offensive boards and potentially a few blocks. The guy is very athletic. If he doesn’t try to shoot to impress he should do fine. With a good showing I pray he can sit Collins on the end of the bench in a suit for a while. Joe Smith needs to take the time to recoup 100% and give Othella time to prove he’s put in the work. Othello is a determined kid. I’m excited to see what happens.

Who’s to say we can’t move Randmo and ZaZa out at the same time instead of the usual Smith & ZaZa? I’m definitely for giving Randmo more minutes based on his performances this year.

Next few games are critical wins, but definitely a time to give minutes to the 2nd unit for development. If we burn our starters trying to win every game we run the risk of running out of gas w/ no replacement when the tough stretch comes early in 2010.

4th seed is not guaranteed. We got some tough games ahead. Bench play and a solid effort from all starters is critical to maintaining the 4th seed and potentially moving up.

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Abe, I didn’t know that you had returned… good to hear form you. Here’s the reality (as I see it), Teague is this team’s 4th string PG. Behind Bibby, Joe and Jamal. And honestly, I would prefer to see any of those 3 running the offense right now. Yes, Teague needs to be developed. His minutes should increase by maybe 2-4 minutes every 20 games. But he is NOT the 2nd string PG… so to expect him to get 20 minutes over these veteran playmakers just doesn’t seem realistic. I know what we all want from Teague…. but some times you end up with Jordan Farmar and not Devin Harris.

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I know exactly what will happen tonight:
It’s the same thing as last week. We won a big game mid-week (this week it was Chicago — last week it was Toronto). Tonight it will be a tough game in a very hostile environment. Woodson will ABANDON everything that went right the other night, including his rotations. He will NOT use RandMo or Collins even though Joe Smith is out. This is EXACTLY what happened last week. WOODSON WILL REVERT BACK TO HIS OLD SELF AND I AM 100 % OF THIS. HE WILL NOT USE THE BENCH WHICH WILL BE THIS TEAM’S DOWNFALL COME APRIL.

Also, Toronto has played better lately.

WOODSON, USE THE BENCH TONIGHT. DO NOT RUN A 6.5 MAN ROTATION

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With Orlando’s lost last night and a tough game on the road against Phoenix, a team that is 7-0 at home this year, it is possible at the end of the evening the Hawks could be tied with the Magic for first in the division and second in the East! I agree with those that point to a tough stretch in January. That is why December is so important to the Hawks. If they can win a bunch of these games going into the tough stretch they their confidence will rise which will help sustain them later on.

Will they be able to overcome the lack of consistency that saw them lose to teams they should have beaten? Will a good stretch here help them defeat the Cavs? Think what a confidence builder winning a home and home against one of the East’s so-called elite would do for their psyche.

I have always advocated that teams should not get too high after a big win nor too low after a bad loss. I especially think that is true for a veteran team. So far this year the Hawks seem to have embraced that attitude. Sure they lost a game that should never have been lost to the Knicks but then they were able to turn it around the very next night against a team they had not defeated in several years and who is a definite contender in the West the very next evening.

Sure they had a series of games where they did not play up to expectations. But their mental toughness prevented them from allowing the team to get down after those losses and start changing things around. I think the team can use these games in December to prepare for a tough January. What they do in the next few games could give them the confidence to use that time in January to make a statement that these birds can fly this year.

But even if they do not make that statement this year’s team has already exhibited a level of maturity beyond anything in their near pass. I have no doubts that this year’s team will be better than last year’s team and be a solid, established Big Four Eastern power. But I also think it is possible that this year can be one of those dream years that fans will remember forever. In either event this year is going to be a special one for the team and for us as fans.

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Oh my!!!! The Hawks may just go to the Finals this years. You heard it here first!

The reason being is the Hawks are about to get snubbed for the All-Star game. These dudes gonna be pissed!!!

As of today, no Hawk would make the NBA All-Star game SMH.

Josh Smith is the closest to making the All-Star game and he is 5th in voting among fowards in the East SMDH. ALSO A MAJOR SMH AT TRACEY MCGRADY MAKING THE ALL STAR TEAM!! Here how the voting is currently going:

Eastern Conference

Forwards: LeBron James (Clev) 649,327; Kevin Garnett (Bos) 533,187; Chris Bosh (Tor) 303,550; Paul Pierce (Bos) 131,379; Josh Smith (Atl) 109,404; Danny Granger (Ind) 100,122; Andre Iguodala (Phi) 75,146; Michael Beasley (Mia) 58,461; Hedo Turkoglu (Tor) 55,416; Rashard Lewis (Orl) 46,073; Luol Deng (Chi) 37,428.

Guards: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 672,227; Vince Carter (Orl) 292,002; Gilbert Arenas (Was) 212,526; Ray Allen (Bos) 208,276 Derrick Rose (Chi) 196,059; Allen Iverson (Phi) 136,976*; Joe Johnson (Atl) 118,964; Rajon Rondo (Bos) 113,371; Jose Calderon (Tor) 68,084; Mike Bibby (Atl) 48,935.

Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 625,279; Shaquille O’Neal (Cle) 206,657; Andrea Bargnani (Tor) 67,310; Al Horford (Atl) 52,747; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 45,920; Brook Lopez (NJ) 39,420; Jermaine O’Neal (Mia) 38,956; Rasheed Wallace (Bos) 36,855; Kendrick Perkins (Bos) 19,408; Brad Miller (Chi) 17,188; Tyson Chandler (Cha) 14,062; Samuel Dalembert, (Phi) 13,969.

Western Conference

Forwards: Carmelo Anthony (Den) 588,958; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 366,300; Pau Gasol (LAL) 280,758; Tim Duncan (SA) 271,321; Kevin Durant (OKC) 177,205; Trevor Ariza (Hou) 168,167; Shawn Marion (Dal) 161,653; Luis Scola (Hou) 134,321; Ron Artest (LAL) 99,209; Lamar Odom (LAL) 85,817; LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 70,588.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 692,518; Tracy McGrady (Hou) 281,545; Steve Nash (Pho) 272,135; Chris Paul (NO) 248,049; Jason Kidd (Dal) 207,247; Jason Terry (Dal) 131,422; Aaron Brooks (Hou) 131,167; Chauncey Billups (Den) 112,509; Brandon Roy (Por) 106,416; Deron Williams (Utah) 94,715; Manu Ginobili (SA) 75,392.

Centers: Amar’e Stoudemire (Pho) 447,776; Andrew Bynum (LAL) 299,484; Nene (Den) 90,439; Marc Gasol (Mem) 75,765; Greg Oden (Por) 73,874; Al Jefferson (Min) 48,676; Antonio McDyess (SA) 46,323; Mehmet Okur (Utah) 35,606; Marcus Camby (LAC) 35,471; Andris Biedrins (GS) 28,287; Emeka Okafor (NO) 19,827; Spencer Hawes (Sac) 10,733.

*While Allen Iverson appears among Western Conference guards on the paper ballot because he began the season with Memphis, his votes will count toward the Eastern Conference guards due to his signing with Philadelphia Dec. 3.

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Mychel- thank goodness the players and coaches get to vote. The fan voting is beyond embarrasing.

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Daniel

December 11th, 2009
9:06 am

The fan voting is beyond embarrasing.

McGrady? Allen Iverson, Shaq – Mercy They should have a game played requirement.

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tyger:
I do not think N.O. would part with Paul w/o Josh or Al being in the conversation.

darrell starks:
Start thinking; Joakim Noah, as a possible alternative to AB. Chicago’s season is in disarray, maybe we could make the heist. We would have to take on a salary [dump] to make it work. I love the kids energy and motor. Plus he got under LBJ’s skin. Sorry if some of this is a repeat.
Blog monster has been grabbing some of my stuff, so I’m not exactly sure what made it through and what didn’t. I must admit that I am
technology impaired.

Kudos to ‘K.S.’ – keep bangin’ away. I’m with you on Marv, amongst most other points as well.

Marv was not drafted to be a role player. he also was drafted [2] not [3] if memory serves. He was drafted to be the next KG. That was never going to happen as he did not have the size nor athleticism. I still remember BK and or MW saying that he was not as athletic as they thought
when he was brought in for a w/o. However, he is a great kid who accepts his role. Had we not brought in Joe; his role would be completely different as well as his perception.

K.S.:
I would still like to enhance Al’s production, perception,and productivity by getting the defensive middleman I covet. J.Noah is on my new wishlist. Instead of being undersized and *overachieving[Al/Josh/size] on a nightly basis, I have a vision of being equal
to or overmatching the opponent [size] and still *overachieving.
*better athlete/energy/hustle/outrunning/outworking/etc.
**Josh and Al certainly bring these attributes to the table.

Occasionally you guys may see a post by ‘Grandad’. If it contains
cursing and or vulgarity, then it is not the real Grandad. Please attempt to discern between the two. No, I’m not bipolar, that I know of anyway. Ms. Grandad called me a moron the other day but I don’t think they’re the same thing.

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Not a Woodson Lover

I have noticed over the years that the hawks win totals have increased with the aquisition of veteran talent and not the development of young talent. Can anyone give me any significant improvement in any of our young players game…other than Marvin and some on this blog thinks he is a BUM or Clown.

I KNOW WE ARE WINNING, BUT CAN ANY OF TELL ME WE ARE WINNING BECAUSE OF HIM OR THE VETERN TALENT. I KNOW HE HAS NOT DEVELOPED A PG AND IT’S BEEN 6 YEARS. COLLISON AND MAYNOR WERE DRAFTED AFTER TEAGUE AND BROOKS WAS DRAFTED 21…ARE WE JUST DRAFTING THE WRONG PEOPLE. . I AM OPEN MINDED….PLEASE CHANGE MY MIND ABOUT WOODSON.

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Ken- Othello is not going to unseat Collins, because they don’t play the same position. Hunter is 3/4 and Collins is just a lumbering 5. The position in question is really Randolph Morris’s as the 3rd pf off the bench.

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Speaking of developing players, why don’t we feed the ball to Al more. As we play some of these weaker teams this would be the perfect time to work on some post moves. If we gave up a few 3pt shots per game and fed the ball to Al it would not only get him more comfortable with his post moves but prob get Josh a couple more rebounds. Hard to think it would hurt the team FG%.

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If we move Collins to the all you can eat seats it’ll hopefully give him a wake-up call. Hunter has some passion. He wants to make it in the league. He’s gonna give what he’s got every night. I say suit him up instead of Collins. Use he and Randmo more and see what happens. Give them each 3-5 minutes per game in a solid segment. None of this last minute crap. Give them enough time to at least begin to get a sweat going. They can’t screw up that badly that fast. Both kids have earned at least a few minutes in the next 5-6 games. Especially since the games are sub 500 teams.

Collins doesn’t deserve a spot at the present time. Get him on a diet, strength and cardio regimine and work him back into uniform in March. That way he’s an effective piece for the playoffs. Till then develop the two that might be here in 5 years.

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Fundamentals- what has Othello done to “deserve” playing time? Are you going to practice?

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I don’t know why everyone keeps with all of the “is Al Horford a center talk”. Why does everything have to be so prototypical? There are only a few bona-fide “centers” in the NBA and why trade hustle and athleticism for some (generally) slow player that either slows down a running team or in Cleveland’s case, disrupts your offensive players from getting points in the paint. I like the idea of having 4 quick and talented players on the floor and run Boston and Cleveland in the ground. I clearly see Orlando as the best team in the East and if the Hawks play up to their capability, they will match up very well with the Magic. There are only two centers in the NBA that I would take over Horford and that’s Dwight Howard and Will Bynum and no I didn’t forget Shaq or Perkins…GO HAWKS!!!

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Hunter is young and hungry. He played well in the preseason. He’s done well whenever we had to use him. Given what Collins has presented who would you feel is more deserving of a shot? Either get Collins in game shape or put him in a suit. At least Othella is in game shape and ready to play! What is your response to that argument?

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@ Rufus, Obviously you haven’t been following the Hawks…Josh Smith, Marvin Williams and Josh Childress (no longer with the team) all developed as draft picks of the Hawks. Sure they missed with Acie Law and Sheldon Williams but they’ve done way better this decade than in the 90’s…Don’t know if they developed because of Woody or despite Woody but at the NBA level, coaches don’t really do as much development of high draft picks, the draft picks should really be responsible for their own progression and development. They are the ones being paid millions of dollars…Just my opinion…If you look at all of the best players, every off-season they add something to their game, i.e., Jordan and Kobe…

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Fundamentals- I certainly think Collins has looked like garbage so far this season. But, He and Hunter play entirely different roles. Collins is a big 5 who is there to clog the lane and give some hard fouls. Hunter is smaller than Randolph Morris. He is really an NBA 3 with limited skills so he is in the front court to rebound against smaller power forwards.

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Have no beef with playing Hunter, but I’d rather have him spell at the 3 and let Marvin learn to bang ( He certainly has the Butt) or give RandMo some minutes at 4. I think that’s his ultimate position, and he has some midrange game. Not a bad sub for this game.

The suggestion of trying Hunter and if that doesn’t work, Marvin does make me wonder if Smith’s hand is hurt more than we realize.

Finally, I reitterate. I’m old school. Used to be, players didn’t come out of college until they were NBA ready. It was not Coach’s job to develop them. They decided to become pro, so they proved themselves as pro’s. Coach ain’t got no sugar tit…just a boot or a slap on the back for occasional encouragement.
I don’t see any problem with his treatment of Teague. Actually, he’s getting quality minutes considering the wealth of talent ahead of him. He’ll get his chances.

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Daniel

The point that I was making is that in the 6 years that Woodson has been coach, some of the players have surpassed our player(Devin, Roy, Rondo and Iguodola)and some are equal in a shorter amount of time(Brooks and Stuckey). Josh Childress and Josh Smith was drafted in the same year as Harris, Iguodola and Deng. Deng is comming off a major injury, but career average is 17pts and 8rbs. Horford is the 2nd best player in his draft and I love Josh now. I am asking you to look at there develop and the time it took the to get there.

ROY AND HARRIS ARE MORE ACCOMPLISHED.

DANIEL THIS IS THE 1ST YEAR PORTLAND HAD A HIGH PRICED FREE AGENT, THEY WON 54 GAMES WITH THERE DRAFT PICKS…….

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I don’t really consider Juwan and Andre Miller high priced free agents. Decent pieces, but don’t water down the Portland team with those picks. Think about how far they’d be without injury?

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AJ,

I would not give Teague 20 mpg either. What I would give him is 10-14 minutes EVERY game. But there are games where he plays well, only to have a DNP CD the next game, and then 5 minutes the next game after that.

I know it should be about matchups, but there are games where Bibby isnt getting it done, but he still plays 36 mins and Teague doesnt see the court, (eg, Bibby only played 5 minutes against the Hornets because he was hurt,), but yet Teague barely played, and we still lost those games. I know its still early though, and Woody talks highly of Teague, so thats good.

KevinA,

I agree. The Hawks are shooting 33.8% from 3 (JJ is at 27.7%, and Crawford shoots 31%). And one reason is because we take a lot of bad shots. Shots where there was enough time on the shot clock where we could pass the ball around and try to get a better shot. Or shots where players were settling for the 3, instead of driving the ball, or dumping it inside.

If the shot is in rhythym, or you’re open, take it. But if it isnt falling, look for the drive, or pass it around. To piggy back off your comments, I think we should try to establish Al and Josh in the first half of every game, and that would open it up for JJ to take over in the 4th.

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Kevin A- I like the Santa Claus joke.

Fundamentals- Well, I care about positions. If you are saying this from a position of “stick it to Collins” Light a fire under him, by bringing on Hunter instead. Ok, I will bite for a game or so. But, I would strongly disagree that Othello is some diamond in the rough just waiting for playing time.

Rufus- If you think Harris and AI are more accomplished than Al and Josh, then we have VERY different opinions about how this season has been going. You are aware that Josh and Al are playing All Star level ball, Josh is in the running for DPOY.

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Daniel – I wouldn’t say Hunter is a diamond in the rough. He’s just something productive compared to something unproductive. If I had it my way I would’ve signed Mario ahead of Hunter and given Siler a shot. No one could question Mario’s heart and effort. He also did alot to add to team chemistry. Collins needs a fire lit. He used to be a nice piece for other teams. We’ve got a good shot. What’s wrong with the dude?

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Fundamentals- Ok, I get what you are saying. And, I have to say that I agree with you. Just because he is on the vet min. (btw so is Joe Smith) does he have to look and play like the Pilsbury Dough Boy? I know he is the 3rd center, but having an active, fit player in that role could be the difference in 3 to 4 games over the season, which is prob the difference between a 2cd and 4th seed.

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Definitely agree w/ you Daniel. I don’t care if Collins takes the 1st 3/4 of the season off. He’s gotta be ready to really bang and play well in the playoff’s to be of any value. Being fit now would’ve been an assett against Dwight.

We’ll need him for the Cav’s…but he won’t be ready. He’s hurting us. He might cost us a seed, which to me isn’t as big a deal. More importantly he’ll cost us by not being ready for the playoff’s which is the million dollar vet min question. We’re getting value out of Joe Smith. I’m loving him. I just wish Collins had the same level of professionalism. What is he teaching our younger kids? Nothing good from what I can see. He’s not good for our bench. Get him outta there.

Othello can maybe play limited minutes at the 3, but at least he’ll be active and filling a role. Maybe he’ll suprise us. Maybe he’ll end up back in the D-League where he probably belongs. At least there is some mystery.

Collins performance the other night left me thinking – I know I could’ve done better than that myself! I get pissed every time I see him!

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I’m not sure that I understand why everyone says that Collins and the other pine heaters need to be ready come playoff time. Come on, do you really think with the way Woody rotates players in tight games, that you will ever see these guys take off the sweats in the playoffs? Remember what coach we are talking about here.

And that is not a knock on Woody, it’ just the truth. We won’t be needing Collins come playoff time.

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Fundamentals- I am not sure also if our 11/12 players will be critical in the playoffs. If they are, we are likely to lose. But, I will say that they can add the kind of depth to win in the doldrums of the season. Which can affect seeding, I happen to think the seeding is very critical to our playoff success or failure.

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I can agree with all that. I never said give them all 20 minutes like it’s church league. Give me a break. We do need quality bigs for banging in the playoffs should someone get hurt.

All I mean if if we’re doing well, putting away teams like we should then there’s no reason to give Othello, Randmo or Collins minutes.

Othella will 99% sure be a D-League player by seasons end.

Randmo will hopefully fight for the #2 Center spot if he continues to progress.

Collins needs to go home.

You can’t tell me the last guys on the bench aren’t important to our team in terms of practice competition, playoff emergencies and overall depth.

If each of the three in disussion could produce like Joe Smith has for us we’d be much better in terms of W/L, seeding and playoff strength.

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Fundamentals, you could give RndMo 40 minutes a game for the next 40 games and he will not likely be as good of a player as Joe Smith. The notion that playing time produces a more productive player is a falacy. There are other variables like talent, work ethic and basketball intelligence that come into play as well. What happens in the first quarter of the season won’t likely mean a lot in terms of what happens in games 83 and beyond. Lastly, if player A is missing shots, making poor defensive rotations and is fumbling balls off his hands routinely during practices… should that factor into his playing time in real games? Is there even the slightest chance that a coach would use practice sessions to determine playing time allocation (especially for younger players or those who devour triple bacon cheeseburgers before, during and after practice)? Or should a coach ignore practice performance and hand out 12-20 minutes of PT like handing out smarties to children?

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I have not seen Rand Mo play enough to make any kind of decesion. He has looked pretty good in garbage time against the ends of other teams benches but has yet to be played when the games outcome is still in question.

I would like to see him play at least a couple of times agains the starters to get a better picture of where he is at.

Al can play the 4 spot and ZaZa should be plenty fresh. In fact I would like to see Al pulled after 5 min so he could have some playing time with Teague in the second unit. All they have to do is get Jamal to run and not many teams could catch us.

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Hot damn! Astro Joe is back in da flow!

Who suggested they’d take Will Bynum for Al Horford? Sorry, but I can’t go for that at all. You never trade a double-double PF/C for a backup 6 foot guard. Now Andrew Bynum is a different story. Still not sure I’d do that trade, but at least it’s a center for a center, as it were….

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Ken ,

Whose minutes do you suggest Othello Hunter take? Josh Smith, Al Horford, Joe Smith, or Zaza Pachulia? Unless dude is playing the 3 (and nothing about him convinces me he can do so), those are the four guys he has to be taking minutes from.

As for Woody’s offense….I agree that there are some problems there. I don’t want to get into too much detail on that opinion, but I will say this: We just took over third place in the Eastern Conference standings, ahead of the Cavs. Yeah, THOSE Cavs. The guys with Lebron and Shaq. Mo Williams, etc. That’s THREE all-stars. Our offense may not be as good as we want it to be, but 21 games in, and this is where we are.

Not only that, but we’re 6th in the NBA in points scored per game, trailing only Phoenix, Denver, Toronto, Golden State, and the L.A. Lakers. That puts us ahead of some pretty good teams and pretty good coaches. Out of those teams, only L.A. is clearly better than us. Phoenix is debatable, and Denver is too, if you ask me. Hey, we may not like everything we see, but something must be working, at least for now.

Of course, the other way of looking at it is to say “call me back in another 20 games, or after a key player goes down with injury.” Well, last I looked, that hurts most teams. Ask the Spurs. I don’t like the ISOs, but when we share the ball, we’re VERY hard to beat. That, and not everything is Woody. Sometimes our guards get too shot happy.

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LETS GET IT…

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Stop giving the ball out soooo damn far

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Hawks look sluggish or a step slow to start the game…

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can we please trade marvin

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Marvin with the And 1

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Even ttho Joe hit that. Whe is he hoggin the ball.

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*Why

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Josh can’t buy a bucket

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And thats why Woody will let JJ do whatever he wants. Because even though JJ was being a ball hog, and had 2 defenders on him, and might have been fading away, he still made it. Heck of a shot.

Thats one of those “Bad shot, Joe”, and then it becomes “good shot Joe” when it goes in lol.

Hawks are 3-4 from 3. Thats a good sign.

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Frontcourt: 0-7
Perimeter players: 7-11

KevinA, where you at?

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great D Joe and Josh…

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offensive foul…

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hmmm… nice shot

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Near-perfect D by Mo there – he had his hand right in front of Wright’s face, but Wright knocked it down anyway.

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If looks could kill, how many people would Woody have killed already lol

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take it to his weak ass Z…

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wow.. what a catch… boy is an athlete…

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I don’t think Toronto wants to turn this into a track meet with the Hawks.

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wow didnt teague get trip?

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Yea boyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

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See I told ya;ll Tgue would do good if you just give him mins

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THE ROUT IS ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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good take…

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Now Teague better get some major mins in the 2nd half

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Jeff Teague is causing Havoc on defense…

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My goodness Teague is quick….

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Mo Evans is hot….

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looks like mo evans wants minutes also

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Travel Turg! Refs bailed you out!

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We’re actually contesting shots pretty well. Hand in the face and all. You guys just have our number I guess.

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Small lineup again – Josh at center.

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LeBron or D-Wade gets a foul call on that play. Not sayin’ he shouldn’t have passedit. Just sayin’.

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Again,

this is exactly what you get when you listen to local bloggers, fire a well respected coach and hire the team physician. Is this the “so-called” European style of play that’s supposed to be the wave of the future in the NBA? Yea, right.

Sund, get off your bald-headed as_ and give Woody a contract.

Woody=COY

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Good 1st half by the Hawks. After a slow start, I thought the 2nd unit came in and played with energy that broke the game open for the Hawks to have double digit lead. Not much to complain about in the 1st half of basketball but I will say I wish Joe would realize that he doesnt have to force difficult shots when he goes to his Iso play….

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Jeff Teague>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Acie Law

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See Joe needs to just pass it DAMNNNNNNNNN

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Joe Blew those last 2 possessions

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PASS IT JOE DAMNNNNNNNNNNN

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I like Horford and even Pachulia’s “mid ranged” jumpers.

Here’s something I’ve always wondered, even though Josh Smith has backed off from firing those 3s, he still jacks up a good number of long 2s.

It’s either a long 2…or at the rim…

Why doesnt he try mid-ranged jumpers since the long 2s arent really for him just like the 3s??

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Mac- actually JSmash has been shooting more mid range jumpers this season.

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iso Nique…

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Man get Bibby out

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Damn a Heat Check LMAO!!!

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Bone- you beat me to it.

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2young2simple you can lick DEEZ NUTZ. Don’t read what I got to say then.

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Put Teague in again

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Will we see Teague in the 3rd quarter????? WWWD (What Will Woody Do)…

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Mac- I agree he does take long two’s, but I’ve seen him take quite of few mid range shots.

Bone- Don’t get caught up with the alias’s.

Peace

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No Doubt, the coaches will vote Smash in. The NBA fans are suspect, or maybe the NBA has a agenda?

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hmm… best wishes to coach Drew…

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Teague sighting!!!!

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This broadcasting crew fro the Raptors dont have a clue about basketball. They must be on loan from the Hockey team….

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Lascho,

Just enjoying the winning ways the Hawks are having this season. It’s good to see ya back on a regular basis…

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I think we can expect more Teague sightings. I think he’s winning Woodson over.

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Teague should start

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Rathbun took the words right out of my… uh, keyboard. Teague’s court awareness is getting better with every game. That pass in traffic maybe wasn’t the greatest of decisions, but a few weeks ago he may have tried to force that layup.

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Mel- I’m trying to come back, sometimes this new blog gets really out of control.

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Nique can’t say numbers, Bone. don’t know why.

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Teague just teeing em up…

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man… this kid is sick…

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21 pt lead with 6mins left in the 4th. I would like to see Randmo get some mins. Especially since the Raps have their starting frontline in the game..

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Wabe, Rondo is a great comparison, and the scary thing is Teague already shoots better than Rondo.

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thats all he needs… a floater, pull up, and a lay up high off the glass…

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Lascho,

Like Doc would say, just scroll until you see something worth commenting on…

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If yall think Nique is bad, you should hear the Raps crew. Just terrible. No b-ball knowledge at all…

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Bigdave- I agree, the kid is nice.

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Melvin… i dunno…

but he will… im sure he’ll get tired of getting his layup attempts blocked…

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lol….crunk

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Teague!!!!!!

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he might have them in his arsenal but he needs to learn when to go them… thats why i said countless times, when he learns to use the high glass he’ll be dangerous…

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Teaguer is the Truth!

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* “when to go to them”

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Naw if Bibby isn’t hitting shots he’s completely irrelevant.

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i wanna see Othello work… ive seen Randolph’s improvements… lets see what Sekou was raving about… he said Thello was the most improved..

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Jason STEAKS Collins lol

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man.. get the ball out of his hands…

give it to Randolph or Thello

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Bibby and Marvin should both just be role players to come off the bench that can offer you a decent-to-good jumper (and a lil D in Marvin’s case)

I think Teague and Mo Evans would produce more than them if given the minutes….

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Yea,

Teague looks good but don’t get it twisted, Bibby and Co. built this lead. I hope Teague can do this against a team that actually plays defense so Bibby can get some rest. Good for him. Jason “Pigfoot” Collins in the game.

Woody=COY

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LOL @ RandoMO!!

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chalk up another on the road…

who is the guy in the turban? always at the Raps games… wasnt he in the ‘Welcome to Atlanta’ video at Walter’s?

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“like how you put a disclaimer there to show your not racist only to expose it. Some of the toughest players in the NBA are Euros and maybe of the softest are Americans who only look or act like they’re tough.”

1. Dirk
2. Zaza

Who else?

The reason I put the disclaimer on there is because I think the majority of white American players — David Lee, Kirk Hinrich, Chris Kaman, etc. — get unfairly stereotyped as being soft or unathletic because of the large numbers of Euroleague players in the NBA who just want to stand around and shoot 3’s all day and who refuse to play physical defense.

It is the European style of play, not genetics, that causes this. Obviously there are going to be exceptions to any rule, and nowhere did I say all American players are tough, but by and large there’s a huge dropoff in that department from American players to Euros.

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Randmo tried to Sportscenter top 10 Bosh and got that sh*t sent to Windsor, Ontario.

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Mac,

I dont know where Windsor located but I dang sho know that Bosh block that dunk out of the building…lol

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Mack- LMAO!!!!!

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This is the reason many of us have been calling for Teague to get more minutes. The kid is good at setting up his teammates, quick hands no defense, and can get to the rim at will. Like it has been said before, once he gets a floater he is going to be a problem… Actually the starters were not doing much it was the bench who took over the game in my opinion. The bench had more players in double figures than the starters.

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I think Teague deserves at least 10-14 minutes every game, regardless of the team that we’re playing. He should get lots of minutes against the Nets on Sunday.

Cleveland down by 8 at home to Portland. And lets hope Orlando loses in Phoenix.

Great win Hawks and Woody

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aight.. coach does look like a potato head…

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Man these Refs loves the Cavs…

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Hopefully Teague is Kevin Johnson 2.0

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Mel, O’Brien

Just think you don’t have to run plays for chillz, and he would clean up Crawfords shots, when he’s having a bad night. He would be a perfect mesh with this current roster.

Keeping it all the way real, when the first team is stalling,Woody should throw the second team in immediately.

Cp- your right about the second team. They really changed the pace, and this is not the first time.

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If JT has a bad game or two and his minutes drop off the chart – bad coaching or JT blowing his opporntunities.

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Lacsho,

Say we had lakers money, Chills replacing hunter would be nice pick up

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Another win, and on the road. Great contributions from our bench. Another blowout win. What’s not to like? I probably shouldn’t ask that question.

Anyway, things I enjoyed in this game:

1) Mike Woodson getting a technical foul. That was greatness. You go, Woody.

2) Mo Evans on fire.

3) Seemingly every Hawk out there trying to get their hands on the ball on defense…and succeeding quite often.

4) A blowout win that wasn’t a shootout (Toronto was held to 89 points).

5) Jeff Teague looking like an NBA point guard, rather than a #19 pick in his first year.

6) Joe Johnson looking like Joe Johnson.

7) Josh Smith recouping from a bad offensive game by collecting blocks, steals, rebounds, and assists.

The bench shooting better than 62% from the field, and contributing 55 of the total 111 points.

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I feel you with the lakers money, but what if we keep Hunter, and loose Collins. He really looks out of place with this team.

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BONE

December 11th, 2009
10:03 pm
KevinA I would only give woody credit if he gives Teague consistent mins. That would be good coaching. But I think Teague is just talented and that has nothing to do with Woody.

He gave Josh, Chills, Marvin, ZaZa, Al consistent minutes all as rookies, I bet if JT performs well he will get his. Coach gets no credit? Top 4 team out of 30 in league so far.

Can you at least admit there you may have a problem with coach hate?

The Hawks do not own a top ten player or own a top 5 coach maybe 10 – maybe 20. So who should get credit.

Of course the post season will prove much. On the other hand our starters are getting more rest because of blow outs. Is the turning of the tide and once again – coaching? or players. I believe it is a little bit of both and we are rolling on the right side of good ball.

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What up Big RaY!!!

I’ll see you in phillips in 010. Amir plays his first basketball game tomorrow. Once again he was a beast on the soccer field this season. I had his team playing up in an older age group, and he was still beasting. I guess its time to work on his B-ball game. I think we’re going to the game Sunday.

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JB ,

I know I wasn’t part of this particular conversation, but let me ask you something. What is your intention…to break the cycle of the perception you are criticizing, or to perpetuate it?

If European players were brought up to “play that way”, then how do you explain the ones that DON’T “play that way?”

I’ve heard guys like Frye and Aldridge get called soft all the time. Bosh has been maligned with that as well. I can’t believe you’ve never heard that before. Seriously, I’ve heard that all over the place. Don’t know how you missed it over the years…

Uh…Rasheed Wallace called soft? Dude shoots 3s, but I’ve NEVER, EVER heard him referred to as “soft”. You’re so far off base using him in that comparison, I don’t know what to tell you. He shoots roughly 2 threes a game, and he’s also the guy who teamed with Ben Wallace to dominate the East and win an NBA championship. Your analogy sprung a major leak when you included him in that list, sorry.

Like I said earlier: are you looking to break the perception, or just perpetuate both it, and an argument?

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Who the hel_ is Ilyasova. Delfino, give me a break. Soft is jacking up threes and playing no defense.

That Diantoni, Colangelo model that was supposed to be the wave of the future. Yes, I hate it.
I’ve herd of Sheed being called a lot of things but “soft’ is not one of them.I stand by my statements. has nothing to do with race but you’re welcome to call it what you want. If you’re soft, i’m calling you soft.

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LMAO!!!!!

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Big Ump ,

Unfortunately you are correct. All I can say is, Woodson has one all-star and Mike Brown has three. Yet Cleveland is trying to keep pace with US, not the other way around, at least for now. Heh. I’d love to hear an argument for THAT one….

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JB, yeah it is somewhat subjective, because there are no stats to show how often a player makes physical contact on offense or defense. For the record, I don’t think every player who relies on jump shooting is soft — it’s only the ones who refuse to make physical contact. So a guy like Al Harrington wouldn’t fit the bill, because he regularly mixes it up inside too. I would call a guy like Channing Frye soft, though, since he has been a jump shooter and poor man to man defender his entire career despite playing what is traditionally the most contact-heavy position.

Obviously, like you pointed out, there are soft American players too. When I make general statements, I’m talking about percentages and majorities. There are going to be exceptions to every rule — we have one on our own team who wears #27. But for the number of Euroleague players in the NBA, there’s an astonishingly high percentage who fit the stereotype compared to American players (at least in my opinion — as you said, it is subjective), and the Raptors’ defensive shortcomings start and end there.

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BIG RAY, per that text message earlier LMAO!!!!!

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Lacsho ,

LOL, what did I tell you?

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WTF Cleaveland??????

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Najeh, I wasn’t talking about tonight’s game in particular. I agree the Raptors are just flat out soft, black white or purple. I’m just responding to a common stereotype I read everywhere on the net. I think you’re overestimating and you’re also ignoring the big factor about different styles and the Euros having to change their game to fit in over here, but…agree to disagree.

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Speaking of soft big men, I see that our current HOF PG, Teague, out-rebounded the 6′11″ LaMarcus Aldridge tonight. Good to see Aldridge pick-up his rebounding game in the absence of Oden. Aldridge is from Paris right? Paris, Texas!

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I agree with JB that it’s unfair to call Euros soft just because they’re tall and don’t get physical. They grow up playing a different type of game over there. You can’t just expect them to come here and immediately pick up physical post play just like you can’t expect every American to go overseas and be a great shooter and ball handler. I bet many US players would struggle in Europe. That doesn’t mean they’re bad or not ____ enough. It just means they don’t do well in that type of league.

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What’s great about 16-6 is that we earned it. We’ve had one of the toughest schedules in the league.

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The Hawks now have a winning percentage of ..727 %. If they continued at that pace for the year they would win 60 games which is 3 more than the franchise record. AND if they defeat a team with only 2 wins this year then that winning projection will increase to 61 games for the year.

I am not claiming that will happen. I just think it is important to put that into the perspective of what is currently happening with this year’s team and what a wonderful job they have done so far this year.

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But anyway, like you said, agree to disagree, and back to the Hawks who have zero soft players of any background on the team…

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Teague=A healthy Speedy

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Tomorrow night’s feature game is no doubt between the Celtics and the Bulls. The Bulls are 6-3 at home while the Celtics are 10-1 on the road. This is a chance for the Celtics to be defeated, Right now however, they are playing with a lot of confidence and have won nine in a row.

Chicago playing at home is tough. They are one of the three teams I predicted to defeat the Hawks during the 10 game span Ken S. has set for our predictions. In one way it would be nice to see Chicago end the Celtics win streak. In another way one wishes that the Bulls would lose at home to allow the Hawks to go into that game with a bit more confidence against a team that is suddenly struggling to win at home. How many on this blog prefer a Chicago win? Count me as one. But if the Bulls lose to the Celtics and the Lakers and then defeat the Knicks so that they enter the game against the Hawks with a 7-5 w/l record will that have any effect on how they play the Hawks? Will it help the Hawks if they defeat Nets and enter this game on a five game winning streak? I think all of these other games factor into how the two teams fare when they meet next week.

Of course the Hawks need to defeat the Nets and the Grizzles who have a 3-9 W/L record on the road this year. If they do and which they should do then that might give them a boost in that game as well. Let us hope so.

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Durant is a guard who happens to be 6′10″. Will go down as one of the best ever. Nuff said. Charlie V is soft, Jeff Green plays hard and is a good young wing player, Ryan Anderson is soft but that’s what they want from him(not much room for him on the blocks), Troy Murphy is Soft, Ryan Gomes(haven’t seen enough of him), Antwan Jamison is a good player(maybe a little soft but an All star when healthy), Lamar Odom is one of the most versatile players in the game. He can play inside and out.

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Samuel :

You are spot on with your observation about Lamar Odom. Which is one of my biggest complaints about the NBA. How can the Lakers afford a player of Odom’s ability to be a sixth man?

Having said that however I just realized that the Hawks have achieved something similar with Jamal Crawford as this team’s sixth man. And the Hawks do not have the financial resources of the Lakers! Here is at least one shout out to Mr. Sund.

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“simply had trouble executing” that’s funny.

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Big Ray.
Your 10:10 PM comment:
I love 16-6, but it’s too early for me to give the man that plaque. Besides, I think he wants a contract more …

So the man has to coach like you bloggers think he should coach and not think of his future? Is that the way you act in your job? Your comment makes no sense at all, unless you want to keep your backstabbing plan ready for the next game the Hawks will loose. Give it up and recognize a coach doing a good job., using his team as he knows them best and giving some players enough time to gain confidence in games they fit at moments they fit. I am waiting on all your comments the first time he plays Teague 20+ minutes and the Hawks loose the game!

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Come on, everyone knows the Lakers lost because they had too many soft Euros!

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If the NBA is so good, why don’t they win every World Championship or Olympic?

Because the NBA isn’t a country.

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Damn White Amerericans beefing with Europeans SMH. Who wudda thunkit?

Strangely enough, I was having this same exact conversation today with one of my co-workers. Basically I was surprised that there is probably more International players in the league than White Americans. I’m not gonna front, its weird to see, I don’t even know of a young, White-American up-and-coming All-Star. I mean what happen to the Bird’s, Stockton’s, Majerle’s, Laettner’s, etc. I know the NBA is the league of ultimate athletes (6-9, 250 pound players that run like gazelles, and jump like pumas; but damn. What the hell happen?

Its really is an interesting topic nontheless.

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Funny how some of you on the blog have a lot to say when the game just starts and it isn’t yet going as they would like. All the hate on the coach and the core players because one player they like isn’t playing yet. Blind for the contributions that Joe J. or Mike B., even Marvin W., are giving that don’t show always in the box! But once they have to acknowledge the coach is doing a great job, they disappear! Only to come back when their player is out of the game for a couple of minutes!. Pathetic!!
If you really believe that a team can depend on a rookie PG you bluntly show you don’t know a nickle of what the game is about! Of course, not one coach is perfect, and every game the team looses, he has made bad decisions like why didn’t player Z play more than player X, and why did he leave player Y in the game while player Q seemed to be hotter. But I honestly believe the coach knows his team better than any one of you on this blog! He works with them, every day of the season. Anyone is entitled to his opinion, but give kudos’s to the man that leads a winning team.
A lot of you claim he doesn’t develop enough his young players. Well, maybe he wants to protect them from being thrown out there and be destroyed. Maybe he wants them to gain confidence in the easy games so they can grow and be ready when needed. Maybe he wants to protect them of being burned out after 5 years in the NBA?
In my honest opinion, he’s doing a lot better job than some of the other coaches throwing their rookies in the arena. And don’t forget, every player is different! Some young guys can take it in their rookie year, some can’t. Compare Al Horford and AC Law: both drafted the same year. I was at their first game. Al was good, making a lot of mistakes in his first game, but good. AC was pitiful! Al worked himself in the starting rotation after a couple of games – AC didn’t work and got injured and never even tried to come back! JT has more potential, and is working hard, that is why he gets more minutes AC wouldn’t even have got if he wasn’t traded away! But of course, it’s all Woody’s fault if a player doesn’t want to work and prove he’s worth of playing time.

BTW: I get offended too with those “Euro” remarks. What would Dallas be without Dirk? What would San Antonio be without Tony? And a lot of other teams are using Europeans (the Lakers even use a “black” European, but none of you would know of course, because there could only be “white” Europeans, right?).

I agree with the shout-out Mike Woodson = COY

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And if you are soooo smart: Why you call the NBA Champion a “World” Champion? to my knowledge, the NBA only consists of 29 US and 1 Canadian team. Hardly a representation of the world, is it?

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The NBA has the best basketball players in the world, so its champion is the world champion.

The MLB has the best baseball players in the world, so the winner of the World Series is the world champion.

The day European powerhouses like Maccabi stop getting blown out in exhibition games against NBA laughingstocks like the Knicks, we can change the conversation. Until then, the NBA is the best league in the world with the best players in the world.

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Najeh – you just said it – it are only exhibition games! So who cares??! They are comparable to the pre-season games in the NBA: getting your team some “game” practice, but not much more worth than a line in the TV Listings.

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Still anyone around wanting to discuss the Hawks?

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JB – btw, the last comment in my 1:12 post was not directed to you – I just wanted to express a feeling to other posts I have been reading – bloggers calling names to someone with a different opinion. I should have made that more clear in my post – my apologies for any misunderstanding.

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JB – one last comment before I go to get some sleep: most of your NBA players don’t want to go play in Europe, because they know they wouldn’t get much playing time their first months of playing – they would have to learn almost from scratch how to play according the real rules of basketball! Not according the NBA copy of rules that is only in place to sell it to the public and to advantage your “star” players! LBJ wouldn’t hold a quarter before being fouled out of the game – he wouldn’t be able to perform his “dancing with the stars” move on the way to the basket as much as he is allowed here. How can you explain that it are your so called 2nd rank players that are able to perform on the international level, while none of your “stars” really come through? A Paul Gasol or Tony Parker get better ratings in those kind of games than a LBJ or Kobe B., simply because they don’t get the same “protection” as they do here. That is why they don’t want to represent their country as a real “superstar” as they claim to be! They are afraid of making themselves a laughing stock!!

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Ken Trickland,

Let’s hope Woody is noticing what happens when he uses his bench because he’s the only one that matters. We are so much better when everyone’s involved and the ball is moving on offense, Let’s hope he notices that too and loses tolerance for those that dribble the cloock away and go one on one against double and triple teaming defenders. There’s a time and place for ISO-Joe, but not when it’s the foundation of our offense. It’s so difficult to defend us when everyone touches the ball.

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Alien in ATL ,

Maybe if you knew what I was talking about, my comment would make more sense. I gave Woody plenty of credit for the team’s record in my previous post, which I had cut and pasted. The only thing I said is that I didn’t endorse giving the man Coach of the Year award (hence the reference to the plaque) for being 16-6. They don’t give out awards for the season when you’re only 22 games into it. MVP, DPOY, COY, MIP, and such awards are given at the end . Furthermore, I stated that Woody is most likely far more interested in a contract extension than he is in winning Coach of the Year.

That was an endorsement of Woody, not an indictment .

Here’s another excerpt from an earlier post: As for Woody’s offense….I agree that there are some problems there. I don’t want to get into too much detail on that opinion, but I will say this: We just took over third place in the Eastern Conference standings, ahead of the Cavs. Yeah, THOSE Cavs. The guys with Lebron and Shaq. Mo Williams, etc. That’s THREE all-stars. Our offense may not be as good as we want it to be, but 21 games in, and this is where we are.

Of course, the other way of looking at it is to say “call me back in another 20 games, or after a key player goes down with injury.” Well, last I looked, that hurts most teams. Ask the Spurs. I don’t like the ISOs, but when we share the ball, we’re VERY hard to beat. That, and not everything is Woody. Sometimes our guards get too shot happy.”

NOW you know. Your back-stabbing comment is off base. But keep your knife. I’m sure you’ll want to try and use it again.

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Hawks are playing well but Woodson has to use Teague and Collins more in CLOSE GAMES and not just stick to a 6 man rotation

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Great Discusion

The development of Teague as a legit PG would go a long way to change my perception of Woody.

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With a win against the Nets on Sunday the Hawks will be tied for first in the Southeastern Division. They currently have the fourth best record in all of the NBA. They have the third best point differential of all teams in the NBA. They are on a pace to win more games than at any time in franchise history. I have been following the Hawks since their move to Atlanta in the 1960’s. I cannot think of a time during their tenure here that is more exciting than what is happening right now. My question – given all that I stated above why was the write-up of last night’s game found on the lower half of page six of the sports page in the AJC? (Ken S. – this is NOT directed at you.)

In this blog there is room for discussions as to the quality of the coach, the value of individual players, the type of offense and/or defense the team plays, the development of players. Heck we even debate US versus world basketball. But why is everyone so willing to accept second class status for our team when they are playing at this level?

That was really all I was going to say in this post. But after completing the post I sat here and reflected on the question I asked. I guess I really should give a little of my view although what I think is probably best left unsaid.

I think one problem for basketball in Atlanta may also be related to the discussion of US versus European basketball players. In the US, especially in the South, basketball is perceived as the sport of black men. I think that perception has something to do with the fact that there are so few white Americans at the pro level. I do not think that white males all have the “white man’s” disease of slowness and lack of jumping ability. But good white athletes have a plethora of other sports to draw their attention. In Europe however basketball does not have to contend with superior black athletes who would discourage their participation and therefore they are allowed to develop better skills than whites in this country. Based on the influx of white athletes from Europe I would say that basketball produces a better product when there are new strains introduced into the game. It is sad to me that there are so few white bb players from the US in the game only because the game then loses another source of strength for the game itself. But when it comes to coverage of the game we should realize the harm to publicity this aspect of the game creates.

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Those of you who keep bringing up all the mid-season trade scenarios are just dreaming. There is absolutely no way the ASG or Sund will change anything about this team given the current position in the Standings and the pace they are on. Two games off the conference lead and 1/2 game off the division lead after 1/4 of the season. Who in their right mind would tinker with that, unless pre-season expectations were higher. Especially now that the team is starting to gel. Maybe the first 20 games were the rough draft and not the final copy. If that is the case, then the end result could still be a trophy.

Some of you are more impatient than my 10 year old daughter.

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BIG RAY-Before the season started I predicted Cleveland would have problems when everyone else was lauding them for acquiring Shaq, Moon and Powe. They added Shaq to solve their inability to play DHoward without double teaming him. However, they did nothing to solve their biggest problem, which was their inability to defend the pick and roll with Ilgaukas. In that area Shaq is actually worse than Ilgaukas.

I said they would have problems at the start of the season with:

(1) Chemistry issues

(2) OFF issues with Shaq playing inside, especially with the outside shooting of Ilgaukas going to the bench.

(3) Neither Powe, Moon or Shaq would be able to replace the outside shooting they lost when they replaced Ilgaukas a starter and lost Szczerbiac and JSmith.

(4) Teams would start the season using the same pick and roll strategy against them they failed to address and that Orlando used to embarrass them when they eliminated them from last yrs playoffs.

We are a good team with Woodson as our HC, but we would be a much better team if he’d commit to consistently doing the things that’s best for the team, and the things the team is best suited for, and failing that, if he was replaced.

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Great win for the Hawks. But lets keep it in perspective. It was the Raptors, the same team against who we scored 146 pts earlier in the week.

That being said, lots of positives. The bench play, and our defense. I hope the team (and Woody) can keep it going for the next few games. And I dont care which team we’re playing, Teague should get minutes.

And I agree with nire. I would not give Woody a new contract until after the playoffs are over. When you’re playing the same team 7 times, adjustments are made from game to game. That is when I want to see some consistency from the Hawks.

But I will enjoy the regular season. Over 50 wins, and the 3rd/4th seed.

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Hello everyone. I have to say that in reading some of your comments in this blog . . . it’s a wonder that we can’t fill the Philips Arena. If the naysayers are as prevelant as the ones on this blog then Philips Arena will never be full consistently. The Hawks will never be good enough for the half of you who blog. There will always be something that you will find wrong even in blowout wins. You remind me of Philly fans who always have something negative to say even in the midst of winning. It’s as if the Hawks have to win in the style that you see fit before you will ACCEPT them or the coach to be good enough from your perspective. GEE . . . just enjoy the fact that they are doing very well a quarter of the way into the season. They are playing more consistent this year than the previous years. Can they make the finals . . . I don’t know. But they sure look like they can. I am just so excited that they are even at this juncture as a team. We as fans can be critical without being dismissive about the nature of the team, the coach, and the whole Atlanta Hawks franchise. To me this is the best that I have seen the Hawks play since the Wilkins days. So lighten up fellow Hawks fans and enjoy the ride. Just think of where we were at five years ago . . . how soon we forget about those dog days . . .

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CP

I agree 100% if he produces he will get his extension.

I will be happy to eat crow if woody produces…I already eaten crow about Josh Smith.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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INGRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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STFU wit this racist garbage. Get a life you losers

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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.

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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

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Cleveland should have been included as a member of the second tier in my earlier posts.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 )

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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

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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.

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